


To Hear from You Again

by pyromanicofthesea



Category: Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Consensual Possession, Fluff and Angst, Ghosts, M/M, Ouija Boards, Timeshipping, background gemshipping, contacting ghosts, flareshipping, rivalshipping - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-03
Updated: 2021-03-06
Packaged: 2021-03-07 15:51:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 28,733
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26800183
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pyromanicofthesea/pseuds/pyromanicofthesea
Summary: Some time after Atem crossed offer, Ryou and Yugi try to contact him with an Ouija board during a power outage. Yugi invites Kaiba to the next try, both he and Kaiba seeking closure and the comfort of the man they love.
Relationships: Atem/Kaiba Seto/Mutou Yuugi, Kaiba Seto/Mutou Yuugi, Kaiba Seto/Mutou Yuugi/Yami Yuugi
Comments: 31
Kudos: 40





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> there's a few brief heartshipping-esque moments but you gotta squint since rival/flare is the focus here. Just fyi to any multishippers reading this :3

The storm ripped through Domino like a placated hurricane. Power was out all over the city, leaving what once was a low glow at midnight an inky abyss. Streets once busy late into the night laid empty, leaving the city feeling more like a ghost town. An apt mood for the evening’s events.

“Are you sure about this, Ryou?” Yugi asked. He sat in Ryou’s living room, surrounded by candles. The wind was relentless outside the apartment windows.

“Of course! I talk with the Theif King quite frequently like this.”

“But in this weather?” Yugi gave a nervous glance outside. The trees waved with frantic arms. Ryou nodded, and set the Ouija board on the end table. He sat on one end, and Yugi moved to sit on the opposite side of the board.

“The weather won’t change anything,” Ryou said. “It just sets the mood for us.” Ryou continued to set up the board, and brought over a few of the white candles as Yugi watched. Ryou looked completely at ease, but the entire thing gave Yugi the creeps.

“You’re sure that you can contact the Other Me?” Yugi asked, for the third time that evening. Ryou just smiled the small, warm smile he gave when he tried to reassure someone against the odds.

“If he’s there, of course. The Pharaoh would have a much stronger spiritual presence. If he is there, he should be easier to contact than the Thief King,” Ryou said. “Now,” he looked over at Yugi, his face a mix of gleeful and serious. It reminded Yugi a little too much of the Dark Bakura from the Ring. “Are you ready to speak to the dead?”

The planchette moved slowly the third time Ryou asked if anyone was there. If Ryou hadn’t been holding onto the planchette with barely even his fingertips, Yugi would have accused Ryou of moving the planchette himself. The pull was to the left of them though. Not something Ryou could have done. It couldn’t really be...could it?

H-E-L-L-O Y-A-D-O-N-U-S-H-I

“Oh for fuck’s sake,” Ryou swore, causing Yugi to jump in surprise. “Bakura, get off of the board. I’m trying to find someone else right now.” Yugi felt his heart drop. No, why would it have been Atem? That would have been too easy.

R-U-D-E. There was a slight pause in movement. H-E-L-L-O Y-U-G-I.

“Um, hello, Bakura?” Yugi replied, unsure of which other Bakura he was speaking with, and how to address any of the other Bakuras given his connection with Atem.

“Oh, so he’s ‘Yugi’, but I’m still ‘landlord’,” Ryou muttered, though it sounded more like playful teasing than anything else.

Y-E-S. A pause. W-H-O A-R-E Y-O-U S-E-E-K-I-N-G. Another pause. T-H-E T-H-I-E-F.

“No, the Pharaoh,” Ryou said as Yugi realized which spirit they were talking to. Was bringing up Atem with the dark Ring spirit really a good idea? Those two had an arguably darker history together than the Thief.

C-A-N-N-O-T H-E-L-P Y-O-U.

“Can’t, or won’t?” Ryou sounded like he knew the answer already.

H-E-H-E-H-E.

“Is he-”

“Laughing? Yes,” Ryou said, and Yugi gave him an incredulous look. “I bet he knows exactly where the Pharaoh is.” Ryou avoiding Atem’s name did not go unnoticed by Yugi, but he did not mention it. Not with the Ring spirit around. He did not know much about ancient magics, but he knew names held a great deal of power. He _had_ to know that after everything he and Atem went through.

M-A-Y-B-E I-F Y-O-U C-A-L-L-E-D M-O-R-E.

“That’s a lie, and you know it, Ring Spirit,” Ryou said, only further confirming who was on the other side of the board.

“If Other Me isn’t there, we can try again another time,” Yugi said, careful to avoid Atem’s name as well. Ryou was about to agree when the planchette moved.

W-H-O A-R-E Y-O-U T-A-L-K-I-N-G T-O.  
G-E-T O-F-F O-F M-E P-R-I-V-A-T-E C-A-L-L.

“Who else is there?” Ryou asked, giving Yugi a confused look.

R-Y-O-U. The planchette moved almost too quickly for Yugi and Ryou to track. S-P-I-R-I-T Y-O-U S-H-O-U-L-D H-A-V-E S-A-I-D S-O-M-E-T-H-I-N-G.

“Oh! Hello, Thief King!” Ryou said. From Ryou’s excited tone, Yugi worried their hunt for Atem would be forgotten. “We’re looking for the Pharaoh right now. Yugi is here.”

H-E I-S N-O-T H-E-R-E B-E Q-U-I-E-T S-P-I-R-I-T.  
D-O N-O-T T-E-L-L T-H-E-M.

There was a pause before, presumably the Thief King, added,

C-O-M-E B-A-C-K T-O-M-O-R-R-O-W.

“You will bring the Pharaoh?” Ryou asked, wanting to confirm. The planchette moved up to ‘YES’, and then moved down to ‘GOODBYE’. “Goodbye, Thief King. Goodbye, Bakura.” Yugi said his goodbyes as well.

“So, I guess I should come back tomorrow?” Yugi asked with a nervous laugh as Ryou packed up the board.

“Yes,” Ryou said. He thought for a moment. “If anyone else would like to talk to Atem, they may. The fewer open spots at the table, the fewer spirits can use the board at one time.” Ryou winked, and Yugi knew exactly what Ryou was talking about.

“How did you know?” Yugi whispered. They had never been public. They had hardly ‘been’ at all, until recently.

“With how competitive Atem was with him?” Ryou said with a laugh. “It was not a stretch to consider.” Yugi nodded with a bashful smile. It did not sound like Ryou knew about how _Yugi_ fit into everything then. He was oddly fine with that.

It was decided then. He would see if Kaiba wanted to join in.

The knock at the mansion door came at the perfect necessary hour to catch Kaiba awake and still within the mansion walls. Yugi’s phone read half-past seven. The one of the towering front doors opened a crack to reveal a well-dressed older man.

“I will let master Kaiba know you are here,” the man said, only needing to take one look at Yugi before closing the door. Yugi stood on the front porch while he waited, looking out at the yard gardens. He watched the groundskeepers groom and water exotic flowers he was certain Kaiba had imported. Maybe he should have called Kaiba to let him know he would be dropping by. Then again, if he had, Kaiba likely would not have responded. Or would even have told him to not. Yugi’s attention was reclaimed by the reopening front door.

“Why are you here?” Kaiba did not sound particularly annoyed to find Yugi on his doorstep, though his words were as short as ever.

“I’m contacting Atem tonight,” Yugi said. Kaiba’s brow furroughed. “With Ryou Bakura. He knows a lot about this. We contacted the Ring Spirit last night.”

“The Ring Spirit,” Kaiba repeated. Yugi gave an apologetic smile. He knew Kaiba still didn’t really believe in the Millennium Items possessions, even after everything Kaiba has seen.

“Bakura. The dark Bakura,” Yugi said. Kaiba nodded. Good, that meant he was interested. That meant he wasn’t about to end the conversation. “He and the Thief King said they could bring Atem to the board.”

“And the Thief King’s name would be?” Kaiba asked with a raised, expectant eyebrow. Yugi was quiet for a moment.

“We still don’t know,” he said softly. The weigh of that sat heavy on his shoulders. Atem rediscovered his name, but both the Spirit of the Ring and the Thief King had yet to receive anything of the sort. The closest was the dark Bakura, but even then, Bakura was Ryou’s name first and foremost. ‘Bakura’ was one more thing the Spirit of the Ring pawned off of Ryou. Kaiba put a hand on Yugi’s shoulder. It was a small and rare gesture of support.

“I will be over after work tonight,” Kaiba said. His eyes glanced at the car in the driveway, and Yugi knew Kaiba needed to leave for the office. “Would you like me to kiss you goodbye?” Yugi couldn’t help but smile at that. Kaiba was always so reserved, especially after some time went between seeing each other. It was something Yugi liked about Kaiba, if he was being honest with himself. There was no expectations of grand gestures or schedule sacrificing. There was just him, and Kaiba, their mutual missing of Atem, and enjoying each other’s company however that may happen.

“I’d like a hug more,” Yugi said honestly. He would be lying to himself if he pretended like the thought of _maybe_ getting to talk to Atem again did not have him a bit shaken. Kaiba pulled Yugi close and wrapped his arms around the smaller man. Yugi did the same, hugging Kaiba close. There was a ghost of a smile across Kaiba’s lips. The rare smile of the man at peace. He rested his cheek on the top of Yugi’s head, face buried in the styled spikes of Yugi’s hair.

The hug only lasted for a moment, but it left both men feeling more at ease. Yugi wasn’t sure if he needed that more, or if Kaiba did.

Ryou slept through the entire morning, and well into the afternoon. He had told Yugi it would be likely he would still be asleep when he arrived to set up the board, so Yugi had no qualms about entering Ryou’s apartment unannounced. It was the one scenario Yugi was ever comfortable not waiting for a response to his knock.

Sure enough, Ryou was still asleep in bed when Yugi entered. Yugi couldn’t help but look at him through the doorway for a moment. Ryou looked so peaceful, even though Yugi knew Ryou was so tired because he couldn’t sleep at night. It had been so long, but Ryou still would wake in fright, clutch his chest as if he were searching for the Ring, cling to Yugi as if letting go meant falling back _down_.

Ryou never said exactly what caused his sleeplessness, but Yugi could guess. There were five puncture scars on Ryou’s chest, and Yugi could guess. In the back of his mind, Yugi wished he knew before. He wished Atem had been a little more _twisted_ when dealing with the Darkness, like back before he knew Atem was not just him. But Yugi would never say it out loud.

Yugi flicked the lightswitch up. The lights were still out. Dinner would have to be takeout again, assuming somewhere nearby had power. It was unlikely though.

Yugi decided he would get dinner later that evening, closer to sunset. For now, he intended on enjoying the daylight while it was still present. All that really meant was that Yugi read about the upcoming new cards set for release, and checked to see if any would be useful for the current incarnation of his deck. Or at least, he would have if he didn’t hear Ryou stumbling through the hall to the bathroom twenty minutes after Yugi was settled on the couch.

Sure enough, a zombie-looking Ryou Bakura padded into the main living space a few minutes later. He did not look awake by any stretch of the imagination.

“What time is it?” Ryou muttered, by volume mostly to himself. He yawned, and walked over to sit on the couch beside Yugi.

“Around six in the evening,” Yugi said as he leaned into Ryou’s side. Ryou hummed in response, and wrapped an arm around Yugi. The two sat like that for a while, just listening to each other breathe, until a knock at the front door broke the tender moment.

Ryou stood to open the door, but Yugi stood as well.

“It’s probably Kaiba,” Yugi said. “I can get the door. Can you get the board and candles?”

“I’m going to change out of my pajamas too,” Ryou said as he headed for the hall. On any other night, Yugi would have smiled at how endearing Ryou was without meaning to be, but their task for the evening sat heavy in his chest. The thought of speaking to Atem after he crossed over tied Yugi’s stomach into knots. What if Atem did not want to speak with him? What if Atem started to worry after this? The fear of somehow upsetting Atem – as irrational as it was – pooled in Yugi’s chest, turning it into a basin of anxiety.

Yugi walked over and answered the door. Sure enough, Kaiba stood outside, dressed in street clothes and carrying a bag of carry-out. Yugi just looked at him for a moment, and Kaiba at Yugi, the two frozen in place, unable to be the first one to move and continue going forward with the evening.

“Is that-”

“Are you-”

“Sorry, I mean-”

“Apologies, I-”

The two paused, and then the laughter hit. Both men stood in their spots, laughing at their own nervous feelings and clumsiness, for far longer than one would have expected. The tension that hung in the air began to lift with every laugh expelling sucked up breath. Yugi stepped aside so Kaiba could enter the apartment.

“I saw that the power is still out in this region, so I picked something up for you and Bakura,” Kaiba said, holding out the carry-out bag. Yugi gave a small, thankful smile as he took the bag, and he could have sworn he saw Kaiba glance away while his cheeks pinkened.

“Was that Kaiba?” Ryou asked as he walked into the living room, now carrying the Ouija board and several tall candles. “Oh! Thank you so much for bringing over food! You did not have to,” he said when he noticed the carry-out bag that now sat on the counter.

“It wasn’t any trouble,” Kaiba said smoothly. He looked at the things in Ryou’s arms with great suspicion. The disbelief did not go unnoticed by Ryou, but he was not doing this to try and change Kaiba’s mind. He knew better than to argue with that level of stubbornness. Ryou was doing this for Yugi, so Yugi could hopefully find the peace he gained from the Thief King. Kaiba’s disbelief was inconsequential.

“I will set up the board, but there is no need to let dinner get cold,” Ryou said as he crossed the room to the coffeetable.

Dinner was in silence. Not due to any animosity from the three, simply because neither Yugi nor Kaiba could muster up the words to say, and Ryou was used to eating alone. This was similar to eating alone. The silence was not uncomfortable by any means. There were no words to be said, only nervousness and the exhaustion that comes from prolonged emotional turmoil.

After dinner, the three took their places at the Ouija board. The candles were already lit, and the soft glow painted shadows across Ryou in a way that reminded Yugi a little too much of the Ring spirit. Ryou put his fingertips on his section of the planchette, and Yugi and Kaiba did the same. Kaiba radiated skepticism on the outside, but the truth was that he was conflicted over the entire night, much like Yugi was.

“Is anyone there?” Ryou said into the empty room. Shadows danced in the flickering candlelight. The seconds passed thick and heavy, as if the room itself held its breath in nervous anticipation. “Hello? Can anyone hear me?” There was nothing but silence. Yugi glanced at Kaiba, expecting to see him looking smug about the board’s silence. Instead, Kaiba looked as if he was trying to will the planchette to move with a glare. A wave of guilt washed over Yugi, chilling him to his core. What if the Thief and Atem did not show up? He knew how much Kaiba missed Atem. What if this night would only reopen healing wounds?

The planchette raced across the board, causing Yugi to gasp in surprise. He hadn’t heard Ryou call out to the shadows of the room a third time.

H-E-L-L-O R-Y-O-U Y-U-G-I K-A-I-B-A

“Hello,” Ryou said, a bit more excited than he meant. He couldn’t help it. It had taken longer to connect the board this time, and Ryou had worried he had made a mistake. The planchette moved before anyone else could get a word in.

Y-O-U-R P-H-A-R-A-O-H I-S H-E-R-E

Kaiba was as ridged as a board, stiff in shock and silently drowning in complex emotions he had long since buried after Atem crossed over. Yugi fared no better, his eyes already watering at the thought of being able to speak with Atem again.

T-H-E-R-E I-S N-O R-O-O-M. A pause. D-I-D N-O-T W-A-N-T T-H-E S-P-I-R-I-T H-E-R-E

Ryou bit back a small laugh. The Thief knew him too well, and Ryou could imagine him saying that with his usual teasings.

“You caught me red-handed,” Ryou said with a smile. “But this isn’t for me. Please let the Pharaoh use the board.”

F-I-N-E. A pause. W-A-I-T. The board did not move for several minutes, and Ryou took that time to remind Yugi and Kaiba to not leave the board under any circumstances without saying goodbye first. They both nodded, but neither could speak, afraid that they could lose composure the moment either of their mouths opened. Ryou knew better than to try and fill the silence. He could feel the conflicting emotions in the room.

A-I-B-O-U. The word froze Yugi in place. He swore his heart stopped. That stupid word that made his heart soar, despite not being an endearment at all. The planchette repeated it over and over, until Yugi finally said something.

“Atem,” Yugi said, his voice nearly catching in his throat. Kaiba didn’t expect Atem to greet him directly. He knew Atem knew he was there, and knew Yugi had been much closer to the Pharaoh. Some time ago, Kaiba would have been jealous of it. He _had been,_ until the mutual grief he and Yugi shared brought them closer together, and Kaiba realized Yugi just had that effect on everyone. The man was so kind. Becoming close with him was so easy, it had frightened Kaiba. It still did, at times.

H-O-W H-A-V-E Y-O-U B-E-E-N

“I’ve missed you,” Yugi said honestly, his head a bit bowed as if he were shy. “Kaiba is here too. He misses you too, but he won’t say it.”

I K-N-O-W

“How do we know it’s really you, and not some other ghost?” Kaiba said, breaking his silent streak. He was ever the skeptic, but he did have a good point. Despite not having watched many horror films, he had seen enough to know it was better to be overly cautious. Even without that, his business endeavors made him wary of something that felt too good to be true.

Y-O-U R-U-I-N-E-D Y-O-U-R F-I-R-S-T W-H-I-T-E J-A-C-K-E-T I-N T-H-E W-A-S-H. Kaiba nods, but can’t bring himself to say anything. Only Atem knew how he destroyed the prototype of his Battle City coat by machine washing it instead of dry-cleaning it. Not even Yugi knew about that, because it was so foolish he did his best to forget it ever happened. Only Atem knew. Yugi glanced across the table, and swore he saw the glint of tears on Kaiba’s cheeks in the candlelight.

“How have you been, Atem?” Yugi asked, trying to keep the conversation light for both his and Kaiba’s sake.

I H-A-V-E B-E-E-N W-E-L-L. There was a pause, the planchette jerked a bit as if Atem hesitated to say more. I H-A-V-E M-I-S-S-E-D Y-O-U T-W-O A L-O-T. Another pause. I D-O N-O-T M-I-N-D W-A-I-T-I-N-G. Another pause. I-T I-S N-I-C-E H-E-R-E

“What have you been doing?” Yugi asked. “There isn’t anyone to duel, is there?”

S-A-D-L-Y N-O G-O-O-D D-U-E-L-S W-I-T-H-O-U-T Y-O-U A-N-D S-E-T-O. A pause. Y-O-U

“I work for Kaiba now,” Yugi said, and Atem replied almost immediately.

O-H N-O H-E B-E-T-T-E-R B-E N-I-C-E T-O Y-O-U

“He’s plenty nice,” Yugi said, laughing a little. He glanced over at Kaiba, who was still silent with his head bowed, with a fond smile. “I couldn’t ask for a better boss.”

O-H I K-N-O-W T-H-A-T L-O-O-K

“You can see me?” Yugi asked, and looked around the room. He was a bit sad he couldn’t see Atem, but he wasn’t surprised about it.

YES. A pause. J-U-S-T A-S P-R-E-T-T-Y A-S A-L-W-A-Y-S

“Atem!” Yugi squeaked. “Ryou is still here!”

“Oh, I don’t mind,” Ryou said with a small smile. “Atem is right, you know. You’ve always been quite adorable.”

“Oh not you too!” Yugi laughed, his cheeks dusted pink from the sudden flattery. The air of the room felt a tad bit lighter after that.

T-E-L-L M-E M-O-R-E A-B-O-U-T W-H-A-T Y-O-U H-A-V-E B-E-E-N U-P T-O

Yugi did, with a smile similar to the one he wore before Atem crossed over. He told Atem about his most recent tournament, and about the game he and Kaiba were developing. He filled the air with exaggerated replays of duels and the woes of game development. He hoped Kaiba would chime in, make some snide comment, say anything, but the man remained silent. Yugi knew to just give him time, so he continued his recounting of the last year or so, and hoped he had enough tales to ease the storm Kaiba’s mind surely was.

Eventually, Kaiba did speak, in the cracked voice of a man who spent nearly the entire forty-five minute session biting back sobs.

“It’s good to hear from you, Atem,” Kaiba said.

W-O-R-D-S C-A-N-N-O-T E-X-P-R-E-S-S H-O-W H-A-P-P-Y I A-M T-O T-A-L-K T-O M-Y T-W-O G-R-E-A-T-E-S-T L-O-V-E-S

“I love you too, Atem,” Yugi said, tearing up as he spoke. Kaiba made up his mind then and there. Someway, somehow, he would find a way to see Atem again. To really see him, not just as an apparition or a movement on a board. Someway, somehow, Kaiba would find a way to hug Atem and challenge him and do everything he was too afraid and too confused to do before.

D-O N-O-T C-R-Y A-I-B-O-U. A pause. I H-A-V-E B-E-E-N E-N-J-O-Y-I-N-G H-E-A-R-I-N-G A-B-O-U-T Y-O-U-R L-I-F-E

“I’ll call again, I promise,” Yugi said, a few tears finally falling down his cheeks.

N-O-T T-O-O O-F-T-E-N

“Don’t worry,” Kaiba said, his voice a bit stronger now. “I’ll keep him busy.”

R-A H-E-L-P Y-O-U-R B-E-D T-H-E-N

“Atem!” Yugi exclaimed, his face redder than it ever had been before as Ryou made a choking noise. Yugi glanced at Ryou, and their eyes met in horror. Ryou hadn’t known Kaiba and _Yugi_ were just as much of a pair as Kaiba and _Atem_. “Ryou I, we, I swear it’s not, we were going to say something, it just, I, it sort of just happened,” Yugi stammered out while the planchette slid around the board, mirroring the ‘laugh’ the Spirit of the Ring had spelled out the night prior. Kaiba, embarrassed beyond belief, was unhelpfully silent, leaving Yugi to explain the general idea of their relationship to one out-of-the-loop Ryou Bakura.

A-I-B-O-U I C-A-N-N-O-T S-T-A-Y M-U-C-H L-O-N-G-E-R. A pause. T-I-R-E-D. Another pause. G-O-O-D-N-I-G-H-T E-V-E-R-Y-O-N-E

“Goodnight, Atem,” Kaiba said.

“Sleep well!” Yugi said, just behind Kaiba’s well-wises.

W-H-E-N I-S O-U-R N-E-X-T C-A-L-L R-Y-O-U

“Next week,” Ryou said. The quick movements of the planchette clued him in that the Thief was speaking now. “Goodbye, Thief King.”

GOODBYE

“Goodbye,” Yugi and Kaiba said, and then the room was quiet. Ryou packed up the board, and blew out the candles that had been a part of the Ouija board session. He didn’t break the silence until absolutely necessary, giving Yugi and Kaiba time to process what happened.

“I’m going to take a shower,” Ryou said, and he put a hand on Yugi’s shoulder. “I’ll be in my room afterwards if you need me.” He turned to Kaiba, addressing him even if the man was looking at the coffeetable. “You’re welcomed to stay as long as you’d like, Kaiba.” Kaiba nodded his acknowledgment, and Ryou took his leave.

“Are you alright?” Yugi asked once he heard the shower start.

“I should be asking you the same thing,” Kaiba said, but his usual snarky tone still hadn’t returned. Yugi was quiet for a while before he said anything more.

“I miss Atem again already,” Yugi admitted. “I’m glad Ryou was able to contact him, but,” his voice trailed off, and Kaiba nodded his understanding.

“Will you hug me?” Kaiba asked, his voice breaking halfway through the simple request. Yugi all but threw himself across the coffetable into Kaiba, wrapping his arms around Kaiba and hugging him so tightly it was as if he feared Kaiba would disappear. Yugi buried his face in Kaiba’s chest, and Kaiba hugged him close. Together they sat in the dark of the living room, silently letting the tears fall down their cheeks, feeling everything but not alone this time around.

“I want to be at the next séance,” Kaiba said after some time. It was well into the night at that point. If either of them looked outside, feint stars would be visible with all the district lights out. It was a rare sight, but Yugi and Kaiba were still wrapped up together, paying no mind to what existed outside of Ryou’s apartment living room.

“Ryou isn’t going to be happy about you calling Ouija board contacting a ‘séance’,” Yugi said with a smile. “Ouija board doesn’t involve a spirit possessing one of us.”

“Maybe I meant séance,” Kaiba said, his voice a bit more normal now. “I bet Atem would love to be tall after possessing you for so long.”

“Hey!” Yugi exclaimed. He dramatically faked offense, playfully shoving Kaiba’s shoulder.

“I’m only kidding,” Kaiba said, even though he knew Yugi knew he was joking.

“I think you just want Atem inside you,” Yugi teased, and Kaiba’s entire face went red.

“As if you don’t,” Kaiba scoffed, looking away for a moment before glancing back at Yugi.

“We could just let Atem choose, you know,” Yugi said. “Assuming he would want to.”

“I didn’t think about that,” Kaiba admitted. “I think he would want to though. He misses you.”

“He misses you too, you know,” Yugi said, adamant about not letting Kaiba feel left out after that evening.

“Yeah, I know,” Kaiba said, and a small smile crept onto his face. Yugi dared to read it as a shy smile, a rare sight even when he and Kaiba were alone. Kaiba rested his cheek on Yugi’s head, effectively burying his face in Yugi’s spiky hair. “Do you think he can see us right now, wherever he is?”

“Maybe,” Yugi said. “I’m not really sure how it all works. Ryou would know more.” Kaiba hummed in agreement, but didn’t say anything more. The two ended up falling asleep together, curled up on the couch.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i might make another chapter (or sequel?) with seance shenanigans. I know technically spirit boards are a form of seance, but I think Ryou being a bit snobbish about categorical differences is super amusing, and it's going to be equally amusing when Yugi tells him he wants to hold a possession session (HAH rhymes)
> 
> thanks for reading <3


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> more heartshipping if you just keep squinting. Gemshipping is still in the background.

The ethereal sun warmed the sand and stone around the small dwelling the Thief King and Atem sat in. There was one carved window, but shades were pulled in front of it to keep out the sun as best they could. The stone tablet from that morning still sat in the middle of the room, on the rug Atem had not moved from all morning. The Thief King sat on the edge of his bed.

“Pharaoh, no one will be calling today,” the Thief King said. Atem had been watching the board for hours now, as if he intended to will something to happen. “You cannot honestly have nothing better to do than sit in my home and look at a rock.”

“This is more important than any palace work,” Atem said, not looking up. “I do not want to miss a call.” The Thief King sighed, and stood from the bed. He walked over and placed a hand on Atem’s shoulder.

“I know you miss them, and I’m sure they’re missing you too,” he said. It wasn’t the best pick-me-up, but gentle support wasn’t something the Thief King was used to. He fumbled around his words, trying to pick ones that were both genuine and useful. “But you all agreed to live your respective lives. Or, well, lives and afterlife. Regardless, go live yours, and I’ll tell you when another call is scheduled.” 

Atem didn’t move for a moment. He couldn’t help but miss Yugi’s constant presence and Kaiba’s intensity. He had been fine for the most part, busying his days and trying not to estimate how much time had past in the living world, once the joys of being reunited with his family had worn off. He had been fine, until the Thief King had breached the palace walls to invite him to commune with the living through a makeshift spirit board. He did not know how the Thief King had carved it – he did not know the Thief King had learned to read their home language - but the spirit board knocked down all of the careful walls and reassurances Atem had built himself. Without those walls, Atem was left alone to face just how much he missed the company of the two men. It was going to be a long seventy to eighty years.

“Thank you for doing this,” Atem said, words of gratitude that once would have been foreign to him now a free-flowing river from his lips. “I know I have not been kind to you, but I cannot thank you enough for finding a way for me to speak with my loves. I owe you a great deal, Thief King.” 

The Thief King wanted to crawl out of his own skin. Normally he would relish the opportunity to have the Pharaoh in his debt, but something about Atem’s emotional sincerity made the Thief King want to run. It made the Pharaoh too human. A different man. A part of the Thief King still wanted to hate him, still wanted to stoke a grudge thousands of years old, but the heart Atem currently brandished upon his sleeve was making that difficult.

“Don’t be ridiculous, I’m only doing this as thank you for making sure my village crossed to the Field of Reeds,” the Thief King scoffed. It wasn’t entirely a lie, either, it was just a weak explanation for why he went through the trouble. In actuality, he didn’t really know what compelled him to comply to Ryou’s request. If he had to guess, it would be to make Ryou happy, but that was another ordeal the Thief King did not want to deal with at the moment. He decided to tack on, “even though that should have happened several thousand years ago.” 

Atem made a face, as this was not the first time the Thief King reminded him of the tortured fate of his village. Atem had been a small child at the time, but it still ate him sometimes. He tried not to dwell too much, at least not after the Thief King seemed less bothered over time.

"Promise to tell me as soon as Ryou says when the next call will be?" Atem asked, looking up at the Thief King, not wanting to continue the topic if the Thief King was not going to press it himself.

"I'll be over as soon as the sun goes down," the Thief King assured him. Atem gave the Thief King a thankful smile, and the Thief King shooed him out the door before Atem could say more uncomfortably emotional and sincere words.

The walk back to the palace was not unpleasant, though the sun felt stronger than it had yesterday. It made him wish Yugi and Kaiba were with him, so he could suggest swimming and not have to go alone. He could, of course, make the suggestion to someone in his court, but it just wasn't the same without the two.

Yugi mulled over his and Kaiba’s discussion after the Ouija board session for nearly three weeks before he mustered up the courage to approach Ryou with the odd proposition. He knew Ryou’s abilities were something Ryou was developing even before they first met, so if anyone would be able to open up a channel for a spirit like that, it would be Ryou. That was partially what caused Yugi’s hesitance. If Ryou refused, who else did he know with that much occult experience?

Yugi knocked on the door of Ryou's apartment, but did not wait for an answer to enter. Surprisingly enough, Ryou was not asleep when he walked in. Ryou, in only a bath robe, sat at his kitchen table, reading a small novel. A plate of half-eaten grilled salmon sat abandoned, forgotten in favor of a book Yugi couldn't see the title of.

Ryou looked up at the sound of the knock, just in time to meet Yugi's eyes. He gave a warm smile, which Yugi returned.

"Sorry about the mess," Ryou said, like he always did, even though his space was never more than comfortably lived-in. "I thought you weren't coming over until later."

"It's three in the afternoon," Yugi laughed. "Any later and I'd be having dinner here instead of with Seto tonight." Ryou rolled his eyes, but didn't comment on it. He had stopped teasing Yugi about Kaiba the week after he found out.

"Would you like anything? Coffee? Tea?" Ryou offered, ever the gracious host. Yugi shook his head, and took a seat across from Ryou at the table.

"That's alright," Yugi said, but he hesitated to bring up the reason he was there. He looked around despite already knowing the contents of Ryou's living and dining room spaces. "So, what're you reading?" he asked, and Ryou gave him a look.

"What's on your mind, Yugi?" he asked, placing his book face-down but open on the table and pushing it over beside the plate of abandoned late-lunch. Yugi bit his lip. Ryou had seen right through him, though it wasn't as if Yugi tried to hide his apprehension.

"You know how we called Atem with the Ouija board last month?" he asked, and Ryou's eyes lit up.

"Yes," Ryou said with a nod. "Did you want to use the board again?"

"Sort of. Do you know anything about," Yugi hesitated again, but when he saw Ryou grow a concerned look, he willed himself to just spit it out. "Do you know anything about possession?" Ryou blinked at Yugi, frozen and dumbfounded before he cracked up with laughter.

"Do I-? Yugi! Who are we? What did we spend years of our lives with? Of course I do."

"Not the Millennium Items. I mean, spirit possession. Like in the movies," Yugi said, hoping to clarify enough that Ryou caught his intent. "Do you know anything about that? And, and how to make it work?"

"Yugi," Ryou said, his voice much quieter now. "You're not thinking about voluntary possession, are you?" Yugi gave Ryou a sheepish look, and Ryou shook his head. "I was worried you'd think of that eventually."

"It was Seto's idea," Yugi admitted, but Ryou just rolled his eyes.

"Oh of course it was, Kaiba is too clever for his own good," he said, and Yugi looked like he agreed. "Voluntary possession and channeling can be dangerous, Yugi. Even more so than the Ouija board. You're giving a spirit access to living experiences again, and you wouldn't have the same level of control as we did with the Items."

"This isn't just some spirit though, it's Atem," Yugi insisted, and the look on Yugi's face made Ryou's resolve weaken. It wasn't as if Ryou and the Thief King had not messed around with that sort of thing before, it was just that Ryou had not grown to be fond of possession experiences. And, there was the one time the Thief King nearly trapped himself in Ryou's body, which was a large part of Ryou's concern for Yugi.

"On one condition," Ryou said, and Yugi nodded, as if he was prepared to agree to whatever terms Ryou set. "I'm the vessel." Yugi did not agree so quickly now. Did Ryou realize he would be the vessel for Yugi's _lover_? He and Ryou were close, certainly, but they had never suggested anything close to what he and Atem would do. Knowing how affectionate Atem could get, and knowing how weak he was to the man, Yugi worried that this would make an awkward situation for Ryou. But he wanted to see Atem again, and he knew Kaiba did as well.

"I suppose Atem and I will have to be on our best behavior," Yugi said, his joke causing a light blush to creep onto his cheeks. Ryou just smiled his soft, sweet smile, because he was already fully aware of what he was getting himself into.

"There needs to be a third person present at all times, just in case something goes wrong," Ryou said, and Yugi nodded. Yugi already planned on bringing Kaiba with him. It was his idea, after all. "I'm experienced with this, please don't worry. Company is only a precaution, since I am not so close to Atem."

"When did you learn how to channel spirits? Was it with the Spirit of the Ring?" Yugi asked. Ryou felt his face heat up.

"No, it was after all of that," he said, and waved his hand as if to shoo away the topic before his blush became even more apparent. "Don't worry about it. I'll get some incense, and some fresh candles, and I'll call you later to see when works best for you. You're planning on bringing Kaiba, aren't you?"

"Yeah," Yugi said with a nod. "This was his idea, after all." Ryou nodded, agreeing to the point Yugi had left unsaid. It was Kaiba's idea, so he should participate.

"Then I'll make dinner."

"Ryou, you're making this sound like a date," Yugi said, half teasing and half embarrassed. Ryou gave Yugi a grin. A real one, that crinkled the corners of Ryou's eyes.

"Isn't it?"

Kaiba went over his attire for the night a third time, making sure everything about his form of dress was perfect. Nothing too flashy, only a dark grey turtleneck paired with a white outer blazer, one button buttoned in the middle of the jacket, and his signature leather pants. That was enough for a dinner date that he and Yugi had multiple times, right? The night wasn't anything major. There were no high expectations. It was only Yugi.

There was a knock at his bedroom door, and Kaiba sighed. That must be the butler, here to tell him Yugi was at the door. Kaiba smoothed the front of his blazer one more time before answering the door.

Sure enough, the main butler of the mansion stood outside the door.

"Mr. Mutou is at the door, sir," the bulter said, and bowed as Kaiba walked past. Kaiba checked the watch on his wrist. Of course Yugi would be exactly on time when he needed him to be running five minutes late. This was only the fourth date they had gone on. Kaiba still felt apprehensive, almost frightened by how much he enjoyed the simplicity of Yugi's company. He had to remind himself there was no need to perform. It was only Yugi, he was only here for dinner and enjoying the other's company however that may be. It was only Yugi.

Kaiba opened the front door to be meeted by a well-dressed Yugi Mutou. He wore what looked like his usual tanktop beneath a navy shortsleeve button-up that was left entirely open. Instead of the usual blue pants, Yugi wore black dress pants, though the still looked stylistically tight on him. He looked nice, and Kaiba could feel himself stare.

"You look like a fashion disaster," Kaiba said before thinking. Yugi just laughed.

"Good, that was the goal," he said, wearing a large grin. He knew what Kaiba meant. "May I come in?" Kaiba nodded and stepped aside, letting Yugi into the main foyer of the mansion. Kaiba shut the door behind him, and then lead Yugi to the dining hall.

"I know it isn't much, but-"

"No, I just got to hear that from Ryou, and you own two private beaches," Yugi said, walking beside Kaiba with the confidence of someone who wasn't nearly a whole foot shorter than the other man. "It's plenty much, and it's perfectly much." 

Kaiba couldn't think of anything to say that wouldn't be some grand gesture normally saved for performances, so he didn't say anything. He just shoved his hands in his jacket pockets and made a show of scoffing at Yugi.

The dining hall was as elegant as one could imagine for a house of the Kaiba family. Yugi knew this from dates prior, but the decadence still took his breath away. He had to remind himself not to stare too much, as this was Kaiba’s everyday. Well, not his every day everyday, as that would be his office at the Kaiba Corporation headquarters. It was much less extravagant than this. Most notably, there wasn’t a crystalline chandelier in Kaiba’s office.

Yugi took his seat across from Kaiba. Neither men sat at the head ends of the solid oak table. Kaiba preferred to sit near the center of the table, with the decorative candlestick arrangement to his left. Yugi followed his lead, hardly knowing normal high class customs and knowing Kaiba’s personal modifications to the etiquette even less. So, near the center of the table they both sat.

The calm that filled the air was accompanied by the clatter of plates in the kitchen, audible signs of the cooks hard at work. It was by no means uncomfortably quiet, but Kaiba still worried about being a bad host. Normally he wouldn’t, especially since Yugi was by no means a shareholder or a potential investor, but he gave Kaiba the same odd feelings Atem did, and that meant he wanted to impress Yugi, however silly that may be.

“Are you still thinking about repainting the ceiling with motifs?” Yugi asked, breaking the quiet air before Kaiba could.

“Yes,” Kaiba replied with a short nod. “I do not know what to commission though.” Yugi flashed a wide smile, one that told Kaiba to brace for some silly, unhelpful remark. Kaiba thought of all the things Yugi could respond in that moment, from jests to suggestions that Kaiba would inevitably have to shoot down. None of it prepared him for what would actually be said.

“Why not a tribute to your Blue-Eyes White Dragon?” Yugi wore the widest grin when Kaiba’s eyes went wide. Kaiba’s cheeks flushed from embarrassment, but he recovered in record time.

“Who’s to say I have not had that in a different room?” Kaiba said smoothly, the look in his eyes giving way that he, much like Yugi, was entirely joking.

The first course of the evening was brought out before Yugi was able to say anything more, and he was thankful for the prevention of any awkward silence. If he were to be honest with himself, the dinner-in date made Yugi a bit nervous. He knew they were having dinner, but was Kaiba anticipating something afterwards? Should he have brought over a movie? But, he did not know what sort of films Kaiba watched. Or would Kaiba prefer to game afterwards? Yugi brought his cards, but nothing else, so if Kaiba was more interested in a video game that night, he would only be able to join in on home consoles. Would Kaiba be fine with just conversation? Probably not, if Yugi was being honest. He knew Kaiba was not one for idle talk. Yugi would have to trust that his cards would be enough.

The more Yugi thought about it, the more he was sure that his cards would be more than enough. Kaiba loved him - and his Other Self - for his dueling ability.

The first course was eaten without conversation, both men lost in their own nervous musings on what the other may or may not expect during the evening. The silence broke as the servants cleared away the empty plates.

"Have you spoken with Ryou recently?" Kaiba asked. Thoughts of Atem plagued him at night. Despite the consuming thoughts of getting to speak to Atem, duel Atem, hold Atem again, Kaiba had yet to bring up the suggestion he had made after the first Ouija board contact nearly a month ago.

"He agreed," Yugi said with a nod. Kaiba's face lit up. Not noticeably to others, but noticeable to Yugi. He bit his lip. "He has some terms though."

"Naturally," Kaiba said. Ryou Bakura was smart, and Kaiba knew this. He anticipated some terms and conditions.

"All three of us need to be there," Yugi said, relaying one of Ryou's requirements. Kaiba nodded his agreement, and Yugi found himself hesitating to say any more. Would Kaiba still be interested if the face of his largest rival and obsession was Ryou's and not Yugi's?

"Was that all?" Kaiba asked after a moment of silence. "That's hardly a term."

"No, um," Yugi's voice trailed off again. What if Kaiba backed out? "Ryou won't, um, neither of us will channel Atem. Ryou will." Kaiba was quiet for some time, and Yugi worried he should have waited until the night of the seance to tell him.

"That makes sense," Kaiba finally spoke, though his agreement sounded almost disappointed. Kaiba had the intention of kissing Atem stupid, or at the very least, giving Yugi the opportunity to. He had assumed Yugi would be the obvious medium, since Atem had lived by possessing Yugi for so long prior. None of that would be happening with Ryou as the medium. He had no intention of crossing any sort of boundaries with Ryou.

"If you don't want to anymore-"

"Don't be ridiculous," Kaiba sneered, with a bit more venom than he intended. Yugi winced slightly, and Kaiba mentally chastised himself for snapping at Yugi. "Of course I still want to. It's _Atem_." 

Yugi gave a small smile and nodded. He knew Kaiba wasn't really mad at him, and the verbal confirmation Kaiba was still interested helped solidify that Kaiba's frustration was with the situation and not Yugi.

"We were thinking next Friday, if that works for you," Yugi said. The doors to the kitchen opened, and the main course of the evening was brought out, so Kaiba just nodded his agreement to keep the servants from overhearing too much. A habit he had yet to break from when he was a child.

The bowls set before the two men held a stew of roasted wild boar and varying greens, the perfect warm meal for what looked to be a cold winter's night on the weather forecast. Yugi could feel the heat of the bowl radiating from its sides. He felt like his stomach would growl despite the recent first course.

The two ate in silence, but the silence was comfortable. It was their regular silence of enjoying each other’s company, knowing that there were no obligations to speak. Knowing that the presence of each other said enough. Yugi was used to his friends in all their forms, but he equally enjoyed the quiet calm that was Seto Kaiba. If anything, part of Kaiba’s charm was his affinity for comfortable, no obligations silence.

  
  


"Seto," Yugi purred from across the table, dinner and its dessert long gone, and servants gone with it. Yugi leaned forward, resting his chin on his hand as he looked up with Kaiba with a look the man knew all too well. "Why don't we turn in for the night?"

"Not tonight," Kaiba said, though he sounded regretful about turning Yugi down. "I still have some work to finish tonight. I did not expect dinner to be so long."

"I take it the night is over then?" Yugi asked, not even a hint of malice in his voice. He knew how important the company was to Kaiba. Kaiba hummed, but he did not give an answer one way or another. Yugi grinned as he spoke again. "I would offer to stay, but I have to work in the morning, and my boss is a bit of a hard-ass."

"Watch it, Mutou," Kaiba said. He sounded quite serious, but he could not hide the grin ruining his facade.

"It's true! He'd never let me skip out on work," Yugi brought the back of his hand to his forehead in an exaggerated display of woe.

"You say that, and yet," Kaiba said as he stood from the table, "according to the company clock-in system, you punched in at 8 am sharp." Yugi jumped up from his chair, far more excited than he meant to.

"So I can stay the night?" he asked, his eyes wide and his smile weakening the business-formal resolve of Kaiba's heart.

"If you do not interrupt my work," Kaiba said. Before Kaiba could say any more - or change his mind, for that matter - Yugi had his arms around the taller man's waist. Kaiba put an arm around Yugi as a return hug, and Yugi looked up at him, his chin resting on Kaiba's chest.

"This isn't technically an interruption," Yugi said with a smug grin before Kaiba could say anything. Kaiba rolled his eyes, but the affection was there.

"I will carry you to my home office if that is necessary," he said, and Yugi was tempted to continue holding onto Kaiba just to make him do it. He knew Kaiba would. Yugi let go of him though, and was led out of the dinning hall by a man who looked criminally good in a turtle-neck.

Yugi tried his best to stay up with Kaiba to keep him company, but he ended up falling asleep on Kaiba's office couch long before Kaiba turned in for the night. Kaiba tried to rub the exhaustion from his eyes, but it persisted despite his best attempts. Any later endeavors would require coffee, and he did not actually intend to stay up all night.

He looked over only to see Yugi curled up on the couch, an ankle thrown over the armrest and an arm hanging off the side. Kaiba couldn't help the soft smile that crossed his lips. It was moments like this when the full extent of his fondness for Yugi hit him. Similarly to how he felt for Atem, but not quite the same. Atem was an exciting, thrilling force. Kaiba felt on top of the world with him, even more so than he already was. Yugi, though, was something calmer. Yugi was the stability and peace Kaiba wanted for himself, and more than that, wanted for his brother. Yugi made Kaiba feel like it was possible to have - as cliche as it were - a happy ending for both him and Mokuba.

It was moments like these that Kaiba felt - or feared - he truly loved Yugi and Atem the same.

Kaiba picked Yugi up from the couch as carefully as he could, mindful not to wake the sleeping man. There was no need for Yugi to sleep the whole night on the couch when Kaiba did not mind sharing just this once. Kaiba was sure he would be long gone and into the workday before Yugi woke up anyway.

The walk to his bedroom was not a long one, though each step Kaiba took was a split mix of maximum speed because he wanted to go to bed, and maximum care because he did not want to wake Yugi. He closed his bedroom door as softly as one could with one's foot, and bent down to pull back the covers without moving Yugi.

Kaiba took one last look at Yugi before he got into bed himself. He did not normally allow himself to indulge in thoughts like these so often, but he could see no problems now. It was a date, after all. Or, the aftermath of one.

Kaiba fell asleep beside Yugi, feeling warm and content where he lay.

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oops I wrote more. Blame [Kevlar01](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kevlar01) for this. One more chapter is planned but I thrive on spontaneity so who knows how long this could get.
> 
> Thanks for reading and stay safe <3


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> we finally get solid nods to gemshipping and some sweet, sweet flareshipping, AND there's some technical/budding/hinted/ Ryou x Kaiba x Atem x Yugi (does that have a name?). But the crux is that sweet, sweet flareshipping.  
> edit: I'M NAMING RYOU X KAIBA X ATEM X YUGI PARHELICSHIPPING THANKS DISCORD GROUP <3

Ryou woke up in the mid-morning with a full plan to spend the day preparing for that evening. It would be another big night. He wasn't nervous per-say, though he knew it would be the best idea to remain unconscious while Atem piloted his body - this wasn't like with the Thief King, after all - Ryou was just excited about the night. Some part of him looked forward to showing off his skills as a medium. It was the same part that was thrilled to learn he still had some small control of magic even after the Spirit of the Ring no longer possessed him. Another part of him wanted to ease Yugi's pain. He wanted to ease Kaiba's pain as well, by extension, despite the man being so cold to everyone else after everything. Kaiba made Yugi happy though, and so Ryou chose to look past his words with the guarded edges and see his actions.

Ryou knew what he would need for that night before he had breakfast finished. The materials list was nearly ingrained in his mind from repetition at this point. The thought never occurred that maybe he gambled his body with the Thief King too often. Ryou trusted him wholeheartedly, especially now that the Spirit of the Ring was seperate from him. The Thief King had more than proven himself trustworthy, at least in that regard, at least in Ryou's eyes.

Ryou set his breakfast on the table, still thinking about the Thief King. He wished, just a small, tiny, insignificant bit, that he was able to see, hear, touch him now. Every time Ryou voiced these thoughts, the Thief King always moved the planchette slower, or whispered a soft 'I know' when they shared a mind, and reminded Ryou that he just had to keep living his life so his heart could be properly weighed. Ryou still didn't know how the Spirit of the Ring made it past Ammit with all he did, nor the Theif King, seeing as he hardly lived at all after everything involving Kul Elna. All the Ring Spirit ever said was Atem had strong influence among the gods - usually sent over planchette with as much spite as one could muster while using an Ouija board - and all the Thief King told him was that avenging a genocide was righteous by nature. Ryou didn't understand how the Thief King's quest for blood could be viewed as _righteous_ , but he knew his heart was in the right place, and it was the heart that counted in the end, it would seem.

Ryou shook his head, and smiled to himself as he brought over a cup of tea. The Thief King, at least, had his eyes set on the men responsible. What he became under Zorc, what the Spirit was born from and then ripped free from, that was everything the Thief King hadn't wanted in his journey. Ryou knew that in the same way he knew the sky was blue. He took comfort in knowing that the Thief King had his revenge in some way in the Field of Reeds. Ryou knew he had to have achieved it, or he wouldn't have been so open to bringing Atem to the board. Ryou still didn't have all the details, or even more than a few, but he was certain the Thief King's soul was brighter now than it was in any of the three thousand years he lived.

Ryou took a sip of his tea, looking at his untouched breakfast. The Thief King would like this. He would whine about Ryou getting up so early when he didn't need to, but Ryou knew he would like the breakfast of cooked fish, rice, and pickled plum. He always caught the Spirit of the Ring glancing at eel nigiri in the supermarket, as if the Spirit had been fighting some inner impulse to buy a box, so maybe eel would interest the Thief King more than horse mackerel. He would have to prepare eel for the Thief King the next time they held a solo seance.

Ryou finished his breakfast with his mind still on the Thief King. He sat now with an empty plate, holding a half-empty cup of tea that warmed his hands. He looked over at his empty living room, filled with games and furniture and shelves of displayed figurines, and sighed. He finished the cup of tea, brought the dishes to the sink, and then slipped on his shoes to leave, grabbing his coat before he closed the door.

\---

Ryou browsed the wares of a small specialty shop on the other side of Domino, surrounded by the powerful scent of the shelved and displayed incense sticks. He already knew what he needed to grab, but he enjoyed taking the time to appreciate the colorful displays and decorated boxes.

He pulled one box from the shelf, and the strong scent of sandalwood filled the air around him. For just a moment, it was all he could smell. Warmth and cream and polished wood kissed the tip of Ryou's nose before he adjusted to the smell and it faded into the scent background profile of the rest of the store.

Lavender was next, but the fragrant sticks did not overpower the air in the same way the sandalwood had. Instead, the soft smell of lavender was a whisper, the suggestion of an identifiable scent among the muddled mess that was the multi-scented air of the specialty shop. It was calming for a brief moment, and Ryou couldn't help the soft smile that crossed his face. Even though he would not be conscious for it, he looked forward to that night's session.

Ryou brought the boxes of incense to the counter, and purchased five white candles as well. The elderly man behind the counter gave Ryou a look of sorrow, surely guessing Ryou was mourning. Ryou gave a polite smile in return. He wasn't going to say anything if the man kept quiet as well.

Ryou paid and left with the ritual items securely in his bag. Next on his list was dinner shopping, so he took the train to the grocer closer to his apartment.

\---

The walk home from the station would have been far easier if Ryou hadn't been carrying groceries and ritual items the entire way there. His arms burned, his back was unhappy with him, and his wrists especially were threatening to cramp from the angles required to support the handleless bag from the specialty shop.

He crouched to set down the bag he held so he could get his key from his pants, the remaining bags weighing on his arms. He unlocked the door and let it swing open as he hefted back up the bag on the ground. He shut the door with his foot before toeing off his shoes and slipping into his house slippers. The plush slippers already made his feet feel better despite the long walk with heavy companions.

Said companions were set on the kitchen counter, along with the bag of candles and incense. Ryou saw no reason to put the ritual supplies away, seeing as he would need them after dinner.

Ryou pulled a pot from its storage spot, and placed three eggs into the pot. He filled it with cold water, eyeballing the amount until the eggs were submerged. He turned on the stove, setting the pot down to boil, and then retrieved a second pot. He filled the pot with water, lit the stove, and set it there to heat. The pot was left containing just water only for as long as it took Ryou to get a slice of kombu kelp from its packaging and place it inside the pot.

The eggs reached their boil, so Ryou killed the heat to that burner, moved the pot to the off back burner, and covered it. He set a timer to check the eggs so he would not forget them.

Two thick slabs of pork wrapped in butcher paper were pulled from one of the bags, unwrapped, and placed in the simmering water in the pot still on an active burner. Ryou took out a stalk of green onion, washed it, chopped up the top half of the stalk, and into the simmering water it went as well. Ryou covered the pot and left it mostly alone, checking it here and there to see if it was boiling yet.

While he waited for the water to boil, Ryou mixed soy sauce, sugar, and sake into a sauce pan to make a marinade for the pork. That was set on the stove at medium heat, and stirred until the sugar dissolved. As if on cue, the water that the kelp, green onion, and pork cooked in reached a boil. Ryou removed the lid, steam pouring out and warming his face. He took out the kelp, setting it aside to be dealt with later. He checked the pork and decided it needed to cook longer, returning the lid to the pot.

The timer for the eggs went off, but Ryou had a feeling the eggs needed just a little longer, so he ignored the timer and prepared a small bowl of cold water and ice. There was a knock at the door just as Ryou reached for the eggs.

"Shit," he swore under his breath. He shook his head, regathering the polite manners he normally had. "Just a minute!" he called out, hoping he hadn't lost track of time. He quickly spooned out the eggs and moved them one by one into the bowl of iced water. He poured out the egg water and placed the pot in the sink. He turned on the faucet, intending on washing it out and using it to make the ramen broth, before rushing over to the door.

Ryou opened the door to reveal one Seto Kaiba, standing in the hallway. He stood as stiff as always, but something about the demeanor struck Ryou as awkward.

"Please, come in," Ryou said, stepping out of the way so Kaiba could get through. "Please forgive dinner not being ready yet." Kaiba gave him a look as he toed off his shoes.

"There is no need to apologize," he said, slipping on the last pair of house slippers and stepping into the living room. "I'm early. Yugi is buying flowers, and insisted I show early to help with dinner."

"Atem will love that," Ryou said with a soft coo. Yugi's thoughtfulness made Ryou's heart ache in the warm, light way that only witnessing someone's love language could cause. "You most certainly will not be helping with dinner, however. You are a guest. Let me get you a cup of tea." Kaiba, not actually wanting to help make dinner, didn't need to be told twice. He sat down on the couch, hands together in his lap, as Ryou returned to the kitchen.

Ryou put a kettle on the last free stove burner and set it to high. Ryou checked on the pork again, and this time was satisfied. He removed both slabs of pork loin from the pot and set them on the cutting board. He pulled a large knife from the holding block in the corner of the counter, the reflective sheen of the blade catching Ryou's chocolate eyes as it was freed.

Ryou cut the pork into thin slices, and then transferred the slices onto a plate. He reached over for the sauce pan, and brought it over to pour the marinade onto the sliced pork. He turned that burner off despite knowing he would need to turn it on again for cooking the noodles.

Ryou caught the hiss of the kettle just in time to pull down a mug and spoon green tea leaves into a steeper before the kettle began its wail. He turned off the kettle's burner as well, and pulled it over to pour the steaming water into the mug. He set the kettle back onto the holder that protected the counter from the heated stainless steel. With one hand at the mug's handle and the other at its bottom to keep it steady, Ryou brought the mug of tea to Kaiba in the living room.

"So, Yugi tells me tonight was your idea," Ryou said as he handed over the mug. Kaiba nodded, though Ryou could not tell if it was in thanks or in confirmation. Kaiba took a slow sip of the tea, undeterred from the temperature.

"Do not take this the wrong way, Ryou," Kaiba said as he lowered the mug. He met Ryou's eyes for a brief moment before looking away and holding out the mug of tea. "If you are to be successful tonight, it will be- difficult for me." Kaiba hesitated, and Ryou could almost feel the personal conflict radiate off the man. "Spike this." Ryou could not help that he stared. A look of understanding crossed his face, and he nodded.

Ryou brought the mug back into the kitchen, and poured something close to a shot's worth of sake into the mug. Kaiba already drank just enough that the mug held the alcohol without threatening to spill over.

Kaiba did not meet his eyes when Ryou brought the mug back. He took the mug from Ryou's offering hands without a word, but a small smile crossed his lips when he took a sip. Had Ryou not known Kaiba for as long as he did, there was no doubt he would have missed the smile that was barely a twitch of the mouth. He would have certainly missed the smile even more so considering most of his time had been spent around the Spirit of the Ring, Marik, and the Thief King, all of whom smiled wide with manic grins.

Ryou thought for a moment that he should sneak a picture of Kaiba smiling for Yugi. He couldn't imagine a man so cold and guarded smiled much, even in private settings. It saddened him to think such things, so he turned and went back to the kitchen to finish dinner instead.

He cracked and peeled the hard-boiled eggs, chipping the shells before returning them to the iced water, only to remove them one by one once more and peel off the shell. It was a process he had seen his mother do, before her death. It made the eggshells peel away easier. The chunks of shell were tossed into a bag meant for compost, and a clean cutting board was pulled out so Ryou could cut the eggs without needing to clean the board used for the pork. The eggs were sliced in halves. Ryou turned his attention to the stove with two open burners, intending on making broth and finally cooking the noodles.

Ryou mixed soy sauce, sake, and some salt into the pot that once contained the pork and still contained the green onion. He stirred that for a moment before placing the lid back over the pot and washing out the pot that had held the eggs. He dried the pot, filled it with water, and set it on the stove with the burner on medium. From one of the grocery bags, Ryou pulled several packages of instant ramen noodles, ripped open the packages, and placed the sheets of dehydrated noodles into the pot. The water simmered around the noodle bunches, cooking them and loosening them slowly.

While he waited, Ryou washed the cutting board that was used for the pork. Once it was clean, he pulled from the grocery bag a leek stalk and a ginger root. He washed both before cutting them into strips and tossing them into the simmering broth to cook just as long as the noodles needed.

It did not take long for the noodles to soften enough for Ryou to flip them over in the pot with a pair of cooking chopsticks. It took even less time after that for Ryou to be able to gently shake the noodles apart with the chopsticks. The noodles swirled in the water like thick ropes, or the arms of jellyfish.

Ryou let the noodles sit for a moment as he pulled three bowls from the cupboard. He turned off the stove burner under the pot of noodles, strained the noodles, and portioned them into the bowls. The noodles were placed with care in their presentation, gently layered in drooping rows instead of portioned out in clumped tangles. The broth and its vegetables were poured into the bowls next, carefully as not to spill anything on the counter. The pork that had been soaking in the marinade was added next, arranged in sixes and fanned out like a splayed deck of cards. It wasn't until Ryou went to put the eggs in the bowl and complete the decorative presentation that he swore.

"I forgot to sweeten the eggs," he grumbled, just quiet enough that it was all to himself. There was a knock at the door. Regular eggs would have to do. "Just a minute!" Ryou called out to the door, but Kaiba stood and set down his mug.

"I can get it, Ryou," he said, far kinder than he would normally. Ryou assumed it was the drink. Sure enough, the sound of Yugi's voice could be heard over at the doorway. Kaiba walked into the kitchen as Ryou finished arranging the bowls.

"Yugi! Perfect ti-"

"Do you have another pair of slippers? There are no-"

"Oh! My apologies, I do not often have so many guests over. Yes, I can get another pair," Ryou said, and hurried off to his bedroom. He returned with a pair of blue house slippers, and brought them over to the doorway.

"Thank you!" Yugi said before Ryou could apologize again for neglecting to put out enough guest slippers. "I didn't want to track dirt into your living room, but I felt weird walking around in just my socks." Ryou gave an apologetic smile as Yugi unlaced his shoes and slipped on the slippers.

"You arrived just in time," Ryou said. "I just finished making dinner."

"I can tell! It smells amazing in here. You always cook so well," Yugi gushed, giving Ryou the shining eyes of admiration. It made his heart stutter. The worst thing about it was Ryou couldn't even bring himself to chastise himself for starting to fawn while Yugi's boyfriend was sitting on his couch, because Yugi's big, beautiful, excited eyes were all on Ryou and all Ryou could see.

"Yugi, stop hypnotizing Ryou," Kaiba called from the couch as a blush grew across Ryou's cheeks. Yugi stuck his tongue out at Kaiba, and Ryou used the break in attention to slip away back to the kitchen.

When Ryou returned with two of the bowls of ramen, Yugi and Kaiba were sitting together on the couch. Kaiba held his mug of tea as if it were the only source of stability in the room, and Yugi talked quietly. Whatever Yugi had been saying was cut short when Ryou set down the two bowls on the coffee table.

"Shouldn't we eat in the dining room?" Kaiba asked, to which Ryou shook his head.

"There's no need, I'll set up everything I need in here while you two eat."

"Where's your bowl, Ryou?" Yugi asked. Ryou gave him a warm smile, one that was as gentle and kind as the summer breeze.

"I'm not eating with you. Atem likely will miss food from the living world, and I couldn't stomach two bowls of ramen in one sitting," Ryou said, his intent clear. He remembered when he first channeled the Thief King to possess him, and how he ate until he got sick. He also remembered how the Thief King spent several minutes just rubbing his fingers across Ryou's silk nightshirt, as if he had forgotten what it felt like to touch through living skin and not however spirits touch things in the afterlife.

Yugi gave Ryou a thankful smile, and Ryou excused himself to set up for the evening. He retrieved the bag of candles and incense from the kitchen, and brought it to the living room before heading to his room to get the spirit board.

"I hope this wasn't asking too much," Yugi said while Ryou was away. Kaiba slurped his noodles, but raised an eyebrow to show he was listening. "Ryou was possessed for so long, it was probably insensitive of me to ask him to do this."

"You didn't, I did," Kaiba said. He reached for his tea, and took a long sip before continuing. "Your friends are used to me being 'insensitive'. You have nothing to worry about."

"That isn't any better!" Yugi exclaimed and gave Kaiba a gentle shove. Kaiba gave Yugi a slide glance, but his small smile was glowing with smug amusement.

"If Ryou did not want to do this, he wouldn't," Kaiba said. He set down his mug, and Yugi made a grab for it. "Wait, Yugi, it's-!" The grimace Yugi wore after taking a sip said it all.

"You spiked it!"

"Yes, now give that back," Kaiba held out his hand, even though he could take the mug from Yugi just as easily. Yugi held the mug closer to his chest.

"I don't know, you're very talkative. Maybe you've had enough," he said with a grin. Kaiba recognized the playful look in his eyes and scowled.

"Yugi," he warned, but Yugi was already scooting away.

"Have to catch me," Yugi's sing-song voice echoed through the living room. Kaiba took the bait as if Yugi didn't do this every time a conversation grew heavy, and dove for Yugi and the mug. Kaiba crashed into Yugi, into the other arm of the couch. Yugi lost hold of the mug upon impact. Kaiba tried to grab it before the mug hit the ground, but he was too late. The mug hit the carpet, spilling tea all over the floor. An ' _ahem_ ' grabbed both men's attentions. They looked over at Ryou, standing in the bridge space between the living room and the dining area, looking like two foolish deer caught in headlights.

"While I appreciate the enthusiasm, this isn't _that_ type of ritual," Ryou said with a laugh, and only then did either man realize the position they were in. Yugi was pinned under Kaiba, and Kaiba was stretched across Yugi, one leg in between Yugi's and an arm bracing himself up on the armrest. Kaiba's face grew warm, and he scrambled back to his side of the couch as Yugi just laughed and got up to fetch the fallen mug.

"Sorry about the mess," Yugi said, but Ryou waved it off as he set down everything he grabbed from his room.

"Don't worry about it," Ryou said as he walked over and got the cup from Yugi. "I'll get you a towel to clean it before any stains set." Ryou turned to address Kaiba. "Would you like another cup?"

"Half shot this time," Kaiba said with a nod. Ryou went back to the kitchen with Yugi at his heels. Ryou gave Yugi a soft towel to clean up the spilled tea.

"I really am sorry about the tea," Yugi said. His big, violet eyes looked up at Ryou and Ryou couldn't stand it. He wanted to go back to watching Yugi and Kaiba teasing each other, grins and hidden smirks and playful looks.

"Really Yugi, don't worry about it," Ryou said. "It's nice seeing you and Kaiba so happy together." Ryou was quiet for a moment, and then his voice grew serious. "He is kind to you, correct?"

"He's distant," Yugi admitted, but shook his head before Ryou could say anything. "But, I think distant is something we both need right now. Whenever we're together," and Yugi's voice trailed off. A soft smile crossed Yugi's face, tugging up the corners of his eyes just a little as he grew lost in thought, and Ryou couldn't help but think how lucky Kaiba was to be the cause of such a look on Yugi's face.

"Go back to the living room, and I'll meet you in there in a minute," Ryou said, and Yugi left to clean up the spill.

Ryou pulled down a clean mug for Kaiba and made him a new up of tea, adding only a half-shot of sake this time. He brought it and the third bowl of ramen, still steaming, out to the living room. He gave Kaiba the mug, for which Ryou received a grateful smile, and then set the bowl of ramen on the floor.

Yugi and Kaiba watched as Ryou arranged candles and incense, lighting each one before turning off the living room lights. The Ouija board was set up in the candlelight as the scents of sandalwood and lavender filled the room.

Ryou was already halfway into a trance from the incense and methodical process of setting up the board. He motioned for Yugi and Kaiba to come over, and the two took their seats across from each other on either side of the board. The air felt heavy as soon as everyone's fingertips rested on the planchette. Ryou took a deep breath, centering himself, before he let himself reach out into the unknown.

"Is anyone there?" Ryou called out into the silence of the room. The planchette moved without further call.

Y-O-U A-R-E L-A-T-E. A pause. H-E-L-L-O A-N-Y-W-A-Y.

"Who are you?" Kaiba asked, much bolder than the first session with the board. Ryou blamed the drink for loosening his tongue, though he didn't actually believe a shot and a half would weaken Kaiba's personal defenses at all.

T-H-E K-I-N-G O-F T-H-I-E-V-E-S. A pause. A-N-D Y-O-U-R P-H-A-R-A-O-H.

"You're not both going to possess Ryou, are you?" Yugi's concern radiated from his voice. Ryou shook his head.

"The Thief King is Atem's insurance plan on the other side, like how you and Kaiba are mine," Ryou explained.

E-X-A-C-T-L-Y. A pause. D-O N-O-T B-R-E-A-K R-Y-O-U T-O-N-I-G-H-T. Ryou's face flushed bright red, aglow in the flickering candlelight. Ryou glared at the board.

"Have you already explained to Atem what to do?" he asked, not making any comments on what the Thief King was insinuating. He could feel is eyelids start to droop, his mind and spirit already more than comfortable with channeling under those conditions.

YES.

"Okay," Ryou said. He took a deep breath, and then looked at Yugi and Kaiba. "Have fun tonight, you two, and tell Atem I said hello. Goodbye for tonight, Thief King." Ryou felt his eyes close before he heard or saw any reply from anyone.

Yugi and Kaiba both said their goodbyes as the planchette moved to 'GOODBYE', and both looked over at Ryou with concern. He was slumped forward, hands off the board, eyes closed, but breathing.

"Ryou?" Yugi asked as he debated with himself if he should try to wake Ryou. Before Yugi had an opportunity, Ryou sat up with a loud gasp. He doubled over coughing, gripping the carpeted floor of the living room. Yugi was at his side immediately, one hand on his thigh and the other rubbing his back. Ryou looked over at Yugi once he settled, and his eyes grew wide as a large grin spread across his face.

"Aibou!" was the only warning Yugi received before he had Ryou - who was evidentially actually Atem - wrapping his arms around Yugi's shoulders and kissing Yugi like he gave the man life. Kaiba was frozen where he sat on the floor, watching Atem in Ryou's body kiss Yugi like that. He would never admit it aloud, but seeing the two like that was not going to leave his brain for some time. The two were absolutely _beautiful_.

"I've missed you so much, I thought I'd have to wait so long to hold you again," Atem said once he pulled back from the kiss that left Yugi's brain entirely fried. He couldn't help gushing over Yugi like this. Atem wanted nothing more than to make Yugi happy for as long as he could. "I love you, aibou, never ever ever forget that I love you. You're my sun, my Ra, gods above I want to hold you and never let you g-" Atem's rambling confessions were cut short by Kaiba clearing his throat, tired of the slightly third-wheel role he had taken on.

"Atem-"

" _Seto_ , you're here too?" Atem's wide eyes were fixed on Kaiba now, and Atem's gaze - even through Ryou's eyes - made Kaiba's voice catch in his throat. Atem threw himself into Kaiba's unprepared arms, leaving Kaiba to scramble to both hold Atem and not fall back onto the floor. Atem's arms were tight around Kaiba's middle, his head buried in Kaiba's neck, Ryou's hair in Kaiba's face. Kaiba smoothed the man's hair down before remembering Atem was piloting Ryou's body. His face grew warm, his hand hesitating, still tangled in long, white hair.

"Hello, Atem," Kaiba finally said, and recieved brown eyes filled with love looking up at him in return.

"Hello, Seto," Atem said as he reached up and cupped Kaiba's cheek, brushing along his cheekbone with his thumb. Atem leaned up and bumped the tip of his nose against Kaiba's.

"How do I know it's really you, and not just Ryou acting?" Kaiba asked, wanting so hard to believe Atem was there, but unable to see Atem in Ryou's brown eyes.

"In the fourth drawer of your second bedroom, behind a box with early print cards in it, you keep a custom blu-" A hand covered Atem's mouth before he could finish. Kaiba glanced a nervous glance over at Yugi, and then glared at Atem.

"Out of all the things you could have brought up," Kaiba growled. Atem gave him an innocent smile, which was much more effective as Ryou than in his own body or even as Yugi.

"I had to make sure you would know it was really me," Atem replied with mocking glee. Kaiba scowled, until Atem kissed the tip of his nose, and a new wave of blushing red washed across his cheeks. "Thank you for this," Atem whispered for only Kaiba to hear. Kaiba swallowed nervously and nodded, unable to speak under Atem's affections.

Ryou's stomach growled, and Atem scowled. He looked over at Yugi with a look of concern on his face.

"I'm starving. Ryou is still taking care of himself, right?"

"Yes, of course," Yugi said. He nodded over to the lone bowl of ramen sitting on the floor. "He just wanted you to join us for dinner." Atem looked over at the bowl, and climbed off of Kaiba. He tried to stand, but stood too quickly and lost his balance. Yugi and Kaiba were both on their feet in an instant, reaching out to catch Atem.

"Thanks," Atem said, a sheepish blush heating his cheeks. "Ryou is much taller than you, aibou. This will take some getting used to." Yugi gave a little fake pout, and Kaiba couldn't help but smile. Being with Atem and Yugi together felt so right.

Once Atem felt oriented enough to move, he walked over and sat down beside the bowl of ramen, legs crossed. He slurped the broth from the bowl as Yugi grabbed the two bowls he and Kaiba hadn't finished.

"This tastes amazing," Atem said, nearly moaning from just the ramen broth.

"Ryou is quite the cook, isn't he," Kaiba said with a fond smile as he watched Atem. He crouched down beside Atem and brushed back some of the loose hair in Atem's face, tucking it behind his ear. Atem turned just enough to kiss the inside of Kaiba's palm as their eyes met, and Kaiba felt his breath catch in his throat. Atem gently bit the inside of Kaiba's wrist, and Kaiba pulled his hand back as if he had been burned.

"Here," Yugi said, having returned with the bowls but missed Atem's toying. "I'll have to get extra chopsticks from the kitchen, I can't find mine and Ryou didn't leave Atem any."

"It's alright, I'll get them. You eat," Kaiba said, and made a beeline for the kitchen before Yugi could say anything else. Yugi looked at Atem with a raised eyebrow, and Atem just shrugged, giving an obviously false innocent smile in return.

Kaiba had no clue where Ryou kept chopsticks, he only left for a moment to breathe. He knew it was Atem, even though it was Ryou's body, and that wasn't the issue. He was confused and a bit frightened by how little he _didn't_ mind it being Ryou's body. He took a deep breath and leaned against the fridge. The cold plastic of the refrigerator door helped ground him, slowing his thoughts down just enough to re-pace his breathing before it could grow sporadic.

Chopsticks. He was in the kitchen to find chopsticks. Atem with Ryou's face could wait, messy feelings could wait, everything except finding chopsticks could wait. Kaiba opened drawers, trying to find a drawer with silverware and other utensils. He nearly made it all around the kitchen, pulling out drawer after drawer, until he found the one he needed. He grabbed two sets of chopsticks and then turned toward the kitchen door. Another deep breath. He could do this. Focus on Atem, not Ryou. Atem Atem Atem. Atem.

Kaiba stepped out into the living room to find Yugi and Ryou feeding each other slices of pork from the bowls, taking turns with the lone pair of chopsticks between the two. No, Atem! Not Ryou, Atem!

"Here," Kaiba said, holding out one of the pairs he retrieved as he sat down with his bowl.

"Thank you," Atem said, handing Yugi back the mutual pair and taking the pair Kaiba brought. "Yugi tells me you're together," Atem said, causing Kaiba to choke with noodles still in his mouth.

"Atem, you didn't need to do that!" Yugi exclaimed as Kaiba recovered. Atem grinned at Yugi, but the grin faded when he saw Yugi wasn't amused.

"Sorry, aibou," Atem said. He looked over at Kaiba, and their eyes met as Kaiba sat back up. "Sorry, Seto. You've just been quiet, I wanted to lighten the mood. I know this is somber, but it does feel a little like a date, so that's nice."

"It is a date," Kaiba said, ignoring Atem's apology. He didn't look away from Atem this time, keeping eye contact long enough to add, "we're dating. You, Yugi, and I."

"I would not want us to be any less," Atem smiled a soft, warm smile that even on Ryou's kind face appeared like someone else was controlling Ryou's movements. Kaiba liked that he noticed such differences now, just as he once learned to notice those differences on Yugi's face and in Yugi's mannerisms.

The three ate in comfortable silence, breaking it only to give more praise to Ryou's cooking or make a cheap flirt that resulted in various levels of laughter. When dinner was done, all three of them rinsed out the bowls and loaded them in the dishwasher.

Yugi pulled Atem over to the door that lead to the balcony overlooking the horizon and the road from the fourth floor. Atem followed Yugi like it was the most natural thing in the world for him, Kaiba right beside him.

"Let's watch the sun rise out here, it'll only be a couple hours longer," Yugi insisted, his hand still clasping Atem's.

"I'm not sure we should be keeping Ryou's body awake for so long," Atem said. He looked at Kaiba, hoping for back up from the logic side of the trio.

"Are you able to ask him if it's alright? Can he communicate with you right now?" Yugi asked, to which Atem just shook his head.

"It isn't like you and I, with the Puzzle," Atem said. He looked up at the moon, sinking down towards the horizon line. "Maybe in time and with practice, Ryou and I would cohabitate like you and I did, but right now, it's very much the same as when you first wore the Puzzle." He looked back over to Yugi, and moved to bump their noses together. Kaiba walked over and leaned against Yugi's back, draping himself onto Yugi, his chin resting on Yugi's head and his arms across Yugi's shoulders. 

"Atem's right, Yugi," Kaiba said into the spikes of Yugi's hair. "It's getting late."

"Yeah, I know," Yugi sighed, but Atem tipped his chin up and kissed him before Yugi could say anything more.

"You know I'm not going anywhere," Atem said as he pulled back to give Yugi a smile. "We will have all the time in the world. I'm going to be tired too, when I get back. Would it be alright to fall asleep in your arms?"

"Of course!" Yugi latched onto Atem, causing Kaiba to need to move to keep from falling forward. Atem hugged Yugi back, and looked at Kaiba. Kaiba smiled at the two, the soft smile that made Atem's heart melt. Atem's expression melded into a silent swoon as he admired Kaiba in the moonlight.

"Come on, the couch is going to be more comfortable," Kaiba said. "It's cold out."

The three went back inside, and the temperature difference could be felt immediately. Ryou's apartment was far warmer than the frigid winter air of the night. Yugi grabbed a blanket from the spare bedroom while Kaiba and Atem went back to the living room.

The two were cuddled together on the couch, Atem in Kaiba's arms and Kaiba carding his fingers through Atem's borrowed white hair, when Yugi returned. Atem moved a bit so Yugi could lay down with his head on Atem's chest, and Atem's head on Kaiba's chest. Yugi draped them all in the blanket as best he could. Kaiba kept his arms wrapped around Atem, holding him as if it alone would prolong the night as much as possible.

"I _will_ see you again," Kaiba said. Atem looked up to see Kaiba with the same intense expression he wore during their duels.

"I know that look. Don't you dare do anything reckless," Atem said, giving Kaiba a gentle but firm look of warning. "Or foolish," he added a beat later, knowing Kaiba's skill at wordplay. Kaiba kissed the top of Atem's head.

"Say hello to everyone in Egypt for me," Yugi said, turning so he was laying on his stomach, his chin propped up on the back of his hands on Atem's chest.

"I will," Atem said, facing Yugi and carding his fingers through Yugi's hair. "I love you," he said, and then faced Kaiba agan. "Both of you." Instead of saying anything, Kaiba leaned forward and kissed Atem. It was the most chaste kiss of his life, but he put every feeling he had into it, and the way Atem relaxed into the kiss told him Atem heard every word.

Atem fell asleep shortly after, warm and sandwiched between Kaiba and Yugi on the couch. That was the exact state Ryou regained consciousness in as well, but he didn't let on. He just enjoyed the moment and the warmth of the two men, snuggled a little closer, and fell asleep himself once more.

It didn't go unnoticed by any of the three that Kaiba and Yugi both walked a little bit lighter after the successful seance. Ryou wasn't going to point it out, but he knew getting to speak with Atem helped heal a bit of the hole the loss left behind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you [Kevlar01](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kevlar01) for giving this a readthrough, you're the best! Just like YOU, wonderful person reading this <3
> 
>  ~~I'm going to leave this as "unfinished" since I can see myself writing more little scenes (actual gemshipping scenes, anyone?? Yami Bakura causing trouble in the afterlife?? An actual heart- or euro-shipping scene like i keep teasing??) but technically this concludes the concrete plans I have made for this thusfar.~~ edit: 1/8/2021 nvm i have plans for this personal sandbox >:)


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> minor panic scene near the end

"It is two in the morning, why are you still at the office?" Kaiba leaned against the door frame of the programming station door, waiting for Yugi to register he was there. He waited. And waited. And waited. "Yugi!"

Yugi sat up from where he was typing, startled by the sudden voice in the room. He turned in the chair and a sheepish smile crossed his face when he saw Kaiba standing there. "Sorry," he said as he rubbed the back of his neck. "Did you say something?"

"It's late and you can finish in the morning."

"What are you still doing here then?"

"I was leaving, until I saw the lights in here were still on." Kaiba gave Yugi a pointed look. "You missed the last train. You can come home with me tonight."

"Usually I'm saying this to you," Yugi said, but he looked thankful that Kaiba offered as he saved his current work and gathered the papers he needed to bring home with him.

"I'm in a good mood," Kaiba said with a shrug. He pushed off the door frame with his shoulders and walked over to Yugi, intending on helping him pack up, but Yugi was already shoving the small stack of papers into his bag. Kaiba decided to catch Yugi's cheek as he turned to stand, causing the shorter man to freeze as Kaiba brushed his thumb across Yugi's cheekbone. Kaiba smiled the soft half-smile that melted Yugi's heart as he leaned down and planted a light kiss on Yugi's forehead. He lingered there just a moment, cupping Yugi's cheek and his lips pressed against Yugi's forehead, enjoying the quiet aloneness that came when they were the only two aside from security in the building.

Yugi nudged Kaiba's chin with his nose, not actually wanting him to move away, but wanting to head back to Kaiba's place so he could turn in for the night. He gave Kaiba a warm smile as the man pulled back.

Kaiba looked at Yugi for a moment, admiring the way he looked, tired and happy with a light blush dusted across his cheeks. His thumb idly stroked Yugi's cheek, and he watched as Yugi's blush darkened.

Yugi pressed a kiss into the palm of Kaiba's hand, and his heart swelled at the way heated pink rose up Kaiba's neck and spread across the tips of his ears. Yugi grinned, and nuzzled his cheek into Kaiba's palm, only for Kaiba to pull his hand away and bop Yugi on the nose.

"Let's go. If you're awake enough to do stupid things like that, you're awake enough to walk to the car," Kaiba said, and turned away to head back to the doorway.

"You started it!" Yugi called after him. He logged off the desktop he was using, grabbed his bag, and hurried to catch up with Kaiba down the hall.

The car ride to Kaiba's mansion was pleasant, if quiet. Much to Yugi's surprise, Kaiba almost fell asleep leaning against the window in the back of the SUV, leaving Yugi to watch the night go by out the window. Not that Kaiba was regularly a conversationalist, but Yugi didn't want to try to spark a conversation if Kaiba needed to sleep.

Kaiba was more than awake enough when the car stopped out front of the manor, getting out the moment the doors unlocked. Yugi got out as well, only to see Kaiba walking to his side of the car. A 'tch' was faintly heard as Kaiba turned around and left Yugi standing by the car.

Yugi wondered if Kaiba had intended to open the door for him, but he didn't put much thought into it, mostly because at this time of night no thought would linger in his head long enough to be considered for more than a passing moment. He followed Kaiba up the steps and into the dark manor.

Kaiba didn't bother to turn on a light as he took his shoes off, but to Yugi's surprise, he waited for Yugi in the foyer. Yugi nudged him with his shoulder, and Kaiba nudged back, and the two walked together in the dark, heading to Kaiba's bedroom mostly off of memory.

"You didn't need to bring me over," Yugi said as they walked. "I could've slept at the office. I know you do more often than not."

"And yet you did not reject my offer," Kaiba said back, glancing over at Yugi.

"Of course not." Yugi leaned into Kaiba as he walked, and Kaiba put an arm around him to pull him close. Yugi let out a content sigh, relaxed against Kaiba's side and in his embrace.

"No, of course not," Kaiba muttered. He slowed just enough to plant a kiss on the top of Yugi's head, between the main spike of his hair and his pointed bangs, before he let go of Yugi entirely and continued down the hall.

Yugi stayed behind this time, his heart warm and feeling like melting chocolate as he let his thoughts wander around how affectionate Kaiba was being. He knew Kaiba wasn't always like this, but ever since Ryou let Atem possess him for a night, especially after Ryou suggested an a-couple-nights-a-month arrangement, Kaiba warmed up to Yugi even more, and the gentle touches and chaste kisses were beginning to become commonplace. Yugi was certain Kaiba's affections would never cease to melt his heart, regardless of frequency.

Kaiba was already out of his work clothes and stepping into a pair of lounge pants when Yugi walked in. He gave a smirk at the blush Yugi wore, noticing that Yugi didn't bother to act embarrassed anymore.

"Enjoying the view?" he asked.

"Are you going to give that cheesy line every time I look at you?"

"Not every time," Kaiba said as he walked over to Yugi. He pulled Yugi close, and leaned down to whisper in his ear. "Only when you catch me shirtless."

Yugi stood there, bright red, as Kaiba walked away. It took a very solid thirty seconds for his brain to remember he still wore his work clothes, but he did remember and began unbuttoning his shirt.

"Would I be able to borrow something to sleep in?" Yugi asked as he folded his removed shirt. He set it beside his bag, on the floor and against the wall near the door.

"And deny myself the opportunity to see you in your underwear?" Kaiba's words made Yugi's whole face go red, the blush spreading down his neck and in splotches across his shoulders as well, as Kaiba grinned with amusement from where he laid on top of the bed's duvet.

"You're awful, you only flirt when I'm too tired to do anything," Yugi said, and he threw on his best fake pout that he could muster at nearly three in the morning.

Kaiba got up from his spot on the bed, walked over to Yugi, and bopped him on the nose again. "You know where my pajamas are, and you know you don't need to ask," he said, but he walked over to his dresser and took a grey pair out from the second drawer anyway. He tossed them to Yugi. "Here, these should fit you."

Yugi shed his work slacks and put on the lounge pants. Sure enough, they were his exact size. He gave Kaiba a look. "Why do you have pants in my size?"

"Because you stay the night?" Kaiba replied as if the answer were obvious. He returned to bed, but this time laid down underneath the sheets. He sighed with satisfaction as he sank into the mattress, surrounded by the warm hold of the sheets, blankets, and duvet of his bed. Yugi joined him quickly after, and in his comfort Kaiba pulled Yugi close and curled around him. He was exhausted, Yugi was warm, and being beside the man gave him a sense of stability he didn't have to create himself.

Yugi wrapped his arms around Kaiba's waist as he was held, and placed a kiss just above Kaiba's heart. He looked up to meet Kaiba's gaze, and found himself caught in a kiss. It was soft at first, a gentle press connecting their lips in a way that sent waves of relaxation and comfort through Yugi, but quickly Kaiba pressed into the kiss and Yugi tipped his head back more so Kaiba could kiss him easier.

They stayed like that for a while, kissing each other in ways that only released the tension both men tended to hold during the workday, until Yugi broke the kissing pattern to snuggle close against Kaiba's chest. Yugi could hear the steady beat of Kaiba's heart, lulling him to sleep in Kaiba's arms. Sleep came easy to them both.

\---

The thick scents of sandalwood and lavender hung heavy in the air of Ryou's bedroom. His spirit board was long packed away, no longer needed for the remainder of the night. Ryou himself laid in the back of his mind, his body on his bedroom floor, possessed by the Thief King, who was enjoying the feeling of breathing for necessity and not out of habit.

He had been laying there for almost forty minutes, just breathing, metaphorically feeling the Earth turn beneath him.

Ryou was conscious, but said nothing so far, letting the Thief King just enjoy the moment. He had plans for the night, but there was no rush. Dinner, a movie, a bath if the Thief King felt up for it by then. Nothing that was near time-sensitive or unable to be rescheduled if a better activity showed up. Nothing that meant Ryou couldn't press his soul against the Thief King's and share the tranquil peace that surrounded them among the incense sticks and candles.

"Remind me what the plan for tonight was?" the Thief King eventually spoke through Ryou's voice.

 _This, but in the living room, with 'Thirteen Ghosts' playing in the background,_ Ryou said from within his mind. _And dinner. It's in the fridge._

"I'll move for food," the Thief King said, and Ryou watched the ceiling turn into his bookshelves as the Thief King got up off the floor.

The differences between possession like this and how things had been with the Ring would never really cease to be noticeable to Ryou. He missed it, just a little, being able to observe from outside his body as if he were in some sort of astral projected state. The mild annoyance of being fully bound to his body but not in control of it was outweighed by the thrilling feeling he got every time his and the Thief King's souls brushed together. He did not know why he felt so elated when it happened, but every time it felt like the same joy of holding the hand of a crush for the first time.

The Thief King walked the two to the kitchen, opened the fridge, and found himself paralyzed by the numerous choices on the shelves before him.

"Uh, Ryou?"

_Second shelf, third container, with the blue lid._

"Thanks," the Thief King said, and swiped the container from the inside of the fridge. He opened the lid as he shut the door, and almost moaned from the sight of its contents. "Ryou, you heavenly creature!"

Inside the container the Thief King held was six layer lasagna packed with cheeses, spinach, ground meats, and freshly made noodles. He cut half and put it on a plate, only to hear the sound of a very disappointed Ryou echo through the back of his head. The Thief King rolled his eyes even though Ryou couldn't see, and added more of the layered dish to the plate.

Ryou sent warmth through his soul to the Thief King's, all but preening knowing he liked Ryou's cooking enough to take any excuse to have more. He watched the Thief King put the plate in the microwave before mentioning, _there's mochi in the freezer too._

The Thief King instinctively froze, meeting his and Ryou's shared eyes in the reflective surface of the microwave, for just a second before moving to yank open the freezer door. Sure enough, a box of green tea ice cream mochi sat in the freezer door slot.

"That's first," the Thief King announced as he took the box out of the freezer. He ripped open the box only to feel Ryou's disapproval. "What? I'm going to eat all of them. There's no point in saving the box."

_You're going to eat all my mochi?_

"There's only six in the box," the Thief King said, and popped one in his mouth. "Three for me, three for you. Besides, I thought you liked sweets."

 _I do,_ Ryou said. He didn't sound annoyed by any means.

"So no harm in eating them all," the Thief King said between chews. He suspected Ryou was just giving him a hard time for the fun of it.

_You're going to choke if you talk with your mouth full._

"On mochi?" the Thief King barked out a laugh, after swallowing the cold dessert. "Not one of the things I'm keen to choking on." He gave a flirtatious wink into the microwave's door, leaving Ryou with the innuendo as he reached out and retrieved dinner from the microwave.

The plate of lasagna was steaming, cheese remelted and oozing from the sides of the stack. The smell alone made the Thief King's stomach rumble. He could feel the hunger of Ryou's body at the thought of experiencing the meal Ryou must have prepared earlier that day.

The Thief King settled onto the couch with his dinner and dessert, exhibiting only enough restraint to set the box of mochi down before digging in. The rich taste of cheese and the tang of the meat sauce pulled a moan from the back of his throat. There was a pleasure in eating, in tasting, in the weight and physical presence that only could be experienced by a living form, and the Thief King had been hooked. He knew, and always knew, that each time Ryou ceded his body had an end, and he was a glutton for every moment Ryou would indulge to him.

Indulgence for the Thief King was something Ryou held mastery in. He watched and felt everything the Thief King saw and experienced wearing his skin in undivided fascination, with the perk of the tranquillity of their mutual souls tethering the two to a shared relaxed state. Ryou felt like a cat stretched out under the sun, well-fed without a care in the world.

He only ever allowed himself to dive into such peace with the Thief King, who knew the temptation of permanence and the necessity of resisting just as he did. Were Ryou to let himself experience this with another soul, he feared he may get attached again, just as he ended up attached to the Thief King after years of talking over the Ouija board. He had no way to guarantee another spirit wouldn't do something desperate under such a feeling. The Thief King had been a risk Ryou was willing to take, for entirely selfish reasons.

"Hey Ryou, are you spacing out, or did you fall asleep in there?" The Thief King's voice pulled Ryou from his reflections.

 _I'm still here,_ Ryou said. _I'm just enjoying this._

"Heh, yeah, I know what you mean," the Thief King said as he laid back to relax against the couch. "I still can't repay you enough for doing this."

_I wouldn't say that._

The Thief King met their shared eyes in the reflection of the TV screen and raised an eyebrow. A single beat later, a grin grew across his face. "Oh?" the Thief King asked as he smoothed a hand down the front of his shirt, across his stomach, caressing his way down to his crotch.

 _Wait wait wait!_ Ryou's hand stilled, not entirely by the Thief King's doing. _Movie first._

"Right, I forgot horror is foreplay for you," the Thief King said, only to receive a smack on his left hand by his right. A chuckle rumbled low in his throat, but he dropped the teasing in favor of eating his third mochi. "Looks like the rest are yours."

_You can eat them for me, I'm up enough to taste them._

Sure enough, the Thief King could feel Ryou's soul pressed against his, their shared head feeling full and foggy from the mutual control. The Ring was never like this, from what he remembered. It felt like he had a headcold.

He ate a fourth mochi and the eruption of flavor and texture took his mind off the feeling of pressure immediately. Every time it felt like eating mochi for the first time, tasting _anything_ for the first time. He wanted to savor it, both for himself and for Ryou, but before he knew it the box was empty.

"So, which movie were we going to watch?" the Thief King asked, getting up from the couch.

 _Thirteen Ghosts_ , Ryou said. _It should be on the second shelf, near the bottom_.

"Haven't seen it in a while?" The Thief King scanned through the movies stacked on the case against the wall. There was no apparent organization to them, but somehow Ryou knew approximately where every film was.

 _Not recently, but it's worth a re-watch_.

The Thief King hummed in response as he finally found the movie. He pulled it from the shelf, careful not to cause any of the upper stack to fall. He set up the TV, put the movie in the player, and settled on the couch with Ryou still occupying the forefront of their shared mind.

The opening credits rolled through the junkyard scene, and the Thief King could feel Ryou's excitement as 'THIR13EN GHOSTS' flashed onto the screen.

"So what, is this Cyrus guy a ghost hunter or something?" he muttered. "I don't like him."

Ryou only hummed, not wanting to spoil anything about the movie. _I don't want to give anything away, but the next scene is pretty gnarly. You might like it_.

The Thief King kept watching in silence, but as the cars of the junkyard began to attack, he sat up a little more, leaning closer to the television screen. "You're right, this is a gnarly scene," he said as he watched a man be bent in half and consumed by two possessed cars. "Our little third half would _love_ this."

_Is that what we're calling Bakura? The third half?_

"It works, since he's not just the Ring Spirit anymore," the Thief King said. "He hadn't been since we both got out of that little spiderweb."

_I suppose you're right. You'll have to tell him about this movie then._

The Thief King hummed his agreement, only to punch the air and whoop when the dead Cyrus was shown. "Don't fuck with ghosts, bitch!" he hollered at the screen, both middle fingers raised.

Ryou couldn't help but laugh, nearly vibrating from the amount of satisfaction the Thief King's soul was radiating at the single uneventful death scene. This was exactly what he wished he could have all the time, both in their own bodies so he could rest his head on the Thief King's shoulder and have his hair combed through as he half-watched a movie, half-listened to the Thief King's heartbeat. He wanted it so bad, the touch of another person. The warmth and pressure and distance and closeness of another physical living person.

He hadn't stopped thinking about it since he woke up sandwiched between Kaiba and Yugi. Maybe dating - if that's what he and the Thief King were doing - a ghost wasn't all that great of an idea at his arguably still young age. It didn't really matter though. He looked forward to the nights he shared in the Thief King's company, whether it was cohabiting the same body or talking back and forth over the Ouija board. At the absolute bare minimum, Ryou considered the Thief King to be a close friend.

He almost missed the threat of panic welling up in the Thief King's soul at the audio track of the new scene. Almost. He sent as much comfort as he could from his soul to the Thief King's, but he could still feel their shared body tremble.

A shaking hand turned off the television, cutting the audio and plunging the room into silence. The Thief King spoke before Ryou could make any sort of apology for the upsetting soundscape.

"Can we take a bath?" he asked. He met Ryou's eyes in the reflection of the black television screen. "Or a shower? Something to clear my head."

 _We can do whatever you'd like,_ Ryou told him. _This is your time to enjoy._

"Bath then," the Thief King decided. He got up off the couch and headed to the bathroom, still on edge from the film. He could feel Ryou's soul nuzzling into his, and the action objectively gave him the comfort and stability he needed not to fall deep into the memories of his first life, but he recognized Ryou's nuzzling only as an action.

He ran the tub and sat on its edge, waiting for the water to heat to an enjoyable temperature. He dipped his hand in the water to keep himself present. The shock of cold and the later relaxation of warmth helped to ground him in the body Ryou shared with him.

 _I have a few bath bombs, if you'd like to use one,_ Ryou said. _They're underneath the sink. There's bubble bath under there as well_.

The Thief King didn't say anything, but he pulled the bottle of bubble bath from under the sink's cabinet. He poured far more into the bathtub than he needed to, but Ryou didn't tell him not to, and so he added a little bit more. The tub filled up beyond the edge with layers of fluffy soap bubbles. The scent of the solution filled the bathroom, causing the entire room to smell faintly of lavender and camomile. There was an undertone of a sweetened vanilla that brought a small smile to the Thief King's face.

He shed Ryou's clothes without much thought, and climbed into the tub in the same way. He turned the faucet off with his foot. The warm water beckoned him to sink deeper, and he complied, holding his breath as he dunked down into the water. There was hardly any water pressure, it was nothing compared to a lake or a pool, but the warmth and silence that surrounded him gave him a steady comfort. He could feel himself begin to decompress. He knew he was still shaken from the movie, but it felt more manageable. He had to remind himself that his family was alright. They were in Aaru, they were tomb crafters again, no one went hungry anymore, his family was alright. He was the only one still a thief and that was because he actively chose it, not because he had to be one. No one was burning. His family was alright.

When the Thief King surfaced, his hair was covered in little fluffy bubbles, some of which popped merely by the force of the air his movements displaced. He dunked himself again, this time for an easier time moving Ryou's long hair from out of his face. He flipped the fringed bangs back as he surfaced once more, successfully keeping the wet hair from sticking to his forehead and in his eyes.

He leaned back against the tub, bending his knees so he could keep as much of his body in the warm water as long as possible. He couldn't deny how nice the bath felt.

"I know I usually stay until sunrise, but," the Thief King began, but he stopped when he felt Ryou's soul press against his. He took a deep breath. "I need to go home and see them."

 _I know_ , Ryou said. _Let's call later in the week. Is that enough time to recover your energy?_

"More than enough."

_Will you say hello to your family for me?_

"If I tell them you said hello, I will have to tell the entire village hello, and then I won't hear the end of it," the Thief King said, but he didn't sound against the idea in the slightest.

 _How tragic, to be asked questions about a partner_ , Ryou said right back.

"That sounded like sarcasm." The Thief King grinned up at the ceiling. "I think I'm becoming a bad influence on you, Ryou Bakura."

 _No, oh say it isn't so!_ Ryou wailed, putting more effort into the theatrics of his voice to compensate for his current lack of a body. He felt his soul light up as the Thief King laughed at his antics. He wasn't often one to play the fool, but it felt nice to draw out such wholehearted laughter from the ghost.

"This is going to sound awful," the Thief King said, "but I look forward to seeing you face to face again. Not too soon! If you don't look like a pale old raisin, I'll fight the gods until you're sent back for at least another twenty years! But, once you are a raisin, visit me, alright? I'll take you horseback riding and introduce you to the village and, and I'll repay you for everything you've done for me."

_Everything I do, I do because I care about you. Don't repay me. I'd love to meet your village, but I don't want repayment. I just want time with you, and to make you smile._

"Ryou." The Thief King couldn't think of more to say. He was overwhelmed with the urge to wrap his arms around the other man, but he knew he couldn't. He wrapped his arms around himself and hoped Ryou would get his meaning. The warmth that he felt erupt throughout his entire body told him Ryou knew exactly what he meant.

The two stayed like that until the water turned lukewarm. The drain was pulled, and the Thief King used the showerhead to rinse off what few suds remained on his skin. He dried himself quickly, but took more than one moment to appreciate how soft and plush Ryou's towels felt. The fabric almost felt like a blanket even though it dried him off far better than anything made of fleece or wool.

He dressed himself in Ryou's pajamas, choosing a lighter pair that would be better suited in case Ryou chose to stay in bed the next day. Knowing how tired possessing Ryou made him, he got a glass of water and a granola bar from the kitchen and brought them to Ryou's room. He set them both down on Ryou's nightstand before climbing into bed.

 _Thank you_ , Ryou muttered, sounding far more exhausted than the Thief King was.

The Thief King kissed the palm of his hand and placed it on his cheek, his and Ryou's souls twining together as he settled in to sleep and cross back over.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the "background gemshipping" tag doesn't really apply anymore does it


	5. Chapter 5

It seemed like a few times a month, the Pharaoh sat on the Thief King's rug in his home and used his spirit board to make long distance calls. The Thief King didn't actually mind it that much, but it was always a bit awkward when the Spirit of Ring was still sitting in his window when Atem knocked. And Atem always knocked. The Thief King picked up on that pattern fairly quickly. The Pharaoh always knocked, always entered after being invited in and never prior, and always brought some sort of baked good as what the Thief King assumed to be thanks. Without fail, every time, on the exact time that the Thief King would tell him. Each meeting time Ryou gave to the Thief King sent him off to make the two-day ride to the palace, scale the palace walls and avoid the guards just as he would in life, and make his way to the Pharaoh's private quarters. He stayed only long enough to give Atem the meeting time and any hellos Ryou might have had, and to steal a bite to eat, before he leapt from the bedroom window and disappeared back to the outskirts of the still-standing Kul Elna.

He did it mostly to keep himself in shape, as he knew Atem would let him into the palace at any time, were that the unspoken arrangement they developed. It was no easy feat sneaking into the palace at night. And if seeing his home village still standing in the shifting sands of Aaru helped to heal the pain he felt from life, he wasn't about to say anything about it to anyone.

Especially not to the Ring Spirit sitting in his window like a cat, glaring as he took the thank you bread and invited Atem inside as he did during the past harvest season.

Bakura didn't hate Atem, not really. He acknowledged the Pharaoh's uses during their half-lives, and it was a plus that Atem didn't try to have him banished to the realm of Shadows when it became apparent that the Thief King's soul had split in two. He cared about Ryou, which was another point in Atem's favor. He helped his original self, which was another point. But Bakura could not stand that Atem got to be close to Ryou when he was kept at arm's length.

"If you're only going to sit there and glare, Spirit, go be useful and deliver some of this bread to Mother," the Thief King said.

Bakura's glare was redirected at him. "And get a sun brand on the ride over? I'll pass." Bakura learned that lesson early on. The pale skin he stole from Ryou did not play well with the sun even after death.

"Then cover yourself so Ra cannot touch," the Thief King said. He handed over the basket of bread when Bakura took the hint and jumped down from the window. The basket was snatched from his hands as Bakura made his way to his bedroom to find cottons to hide his face from the midday sun.

"I don't know why you send me over there to run your errands when you know she rather see you, not me," Bakura said when he returned. He wore the Thief King's red robe, the hood pulled low to cast his face in shadows.

Atem couldn't help but think he'd be too warm in that and the modern striped shirt and denim jeans he always wore, but he wasn't about to bring it up.

"You know why," the Thief King said with a glare. He didn't particularly want to rediscuss how his mother had wanted another child before she was killed, or how she saw his split soul as a blessing in disguise, with Atem as a witness to the conversation. Thankfully, Bakura just raised his arms in mock defense and left with the bread. The Thief King had a feeling Bakura didn't actually want to discuss it with Atem present either.

The Thief King addressed Atem once the door of his small home was shut. "Ryou should be calling soon. Go put the perfume cones in the window."

Atem nodded and did as he was told. It felt like a waste of perfumed oils, but the Thief King had explained several times the importance of reaching a trance in order to meet Ryou's projected soul at the veil. He often had too many thoughts at any given time, even in Paradise as it were, and so while the Thief King could slip in and out of consciousness with ease, Atem still struggled even with the calming help of lavender and pomegranate.

He pulled three perfumed cones of fat from the basket the Thief King kept in the corner of the living room and set them each in the window where the sun poured in. They began to slowly melt as they were heated, filling the room with strong scents of fruit and lavender. He took a deep breath, but it only helped so much. His heart still raced a horse's pace from the anticipation.

Atem sat back down as the Thief King tore a piece from a loaf of bread he hadn't seen him take. "Is that one of the ones I brought?"

"Yup." was the only response the Thief King gave, and Atem could figure out the rest from there. If the Thief King hadn't been so troublesome, he might have marveled at the man's slight of hand skills.

When the Thief King offered a piece of bread to Atem, he took it. They ate in silence, awaiting Ryou's call.

The cones were nearly half melted by the time Atem and the Thief King felt the electric shock that was the call of the spirit board. They both sat at the board, but only the Thief King could hear the voices of the others through the veil. Atem was left in the dark, as he usually was, but he learned quickly how to piece together what was being said. He watched as the Thief King moved the carved planchette to respond to Ryou's call, swift, skilled and comfortable with the communication form.

'Hello Ryou Yugi Seto' Atem read upside-down, piecing together the letters into words with only a slight delay. It still surprised him that the Thief King could use the board in the hieroglyphic alphabet. He had expected to find a Japanese board every time, but instead he was greeted by the script most familiar to him.

'I can and will call you Seto'. Atem glanced up to see the Thief King grinning at the board. He could imagine the sharp remark Kaiba gave him for getting familiar. He wanted to put his hand on the planchette so he could see the apparitions of his living loves. but he knew the board would get crowded with the way Ryou always set up the board. Ryou never wanted the Spirit of the Ring at the board while Atem was there and Atem could only imagine the reason why. No matter, he knew he would see his loves soon through Ryou's eyes, a blessing he didn't think he could ever repay.

'Yes your precious Pharaoh is here.' Atem finished piecing together the response just as the Thief King addressed him verbally.

"You ready, Atem?"

Atem knew he could ask for another moment, but he also knew it would only worsen his nerves. He took a deep breath and nodded. He had to admit, the heavy perfumes were making his head begin to spin, though he knew not if it was relaxation or light-headedness.

'Go ahead Ryou and take care. Goodbye.'

"Hands on the board, Atem," the Thief King said. He had to remind Atem to keep contact with the conduit every time they did this. He grabbed Atem's hands and placed them palm down on the spirit board. "That's it, Atem. Just close your eyes, reach out, and sleep."

Atem was doing just that, and his entire body felt heavy. He slumped forward, his weight mostly on his hands. The world flickered, almost like he blinked too rapidly and his brain hadn't caught up yet. The world flickered again. He heard the Thief King say something, but he couldn't make out the words. He fell forward and as he fell, he felt a silken screen catch him. He kept falling, and yet he was caught in the barrier, until the barrier was gone and his senses went dark.

The Thief King sat back once the Pharaoh's form fell forward and vanished, as it always did. He got up and cleaned up the window sill, which now dripped with melted oil and animal fats. Maybe Atem was right. It was a waste of oil. But he rather waste stolen oil than light a candle or scented bark in his house. He'd be quite the happy man if he never saw another torch or the like again.

Bakura threw open the door shortly after the Thief King had stored the spirit board. The Spirit of the Ring didn't seem to be in the worst mood of his life, but he was by no means pleased.

"Why the hell do you let him do that, huh?" Bakura demanded, getting up in the Thief King's face. "How many more spirits are allowed to possess Ryou before I get my host back?"

"Ryou is _not_ your host anymore," the Thief King said as he shoved Bakura back. "Who he acts as medium for is his decision, and his alone."

"Bullshit!" Bakura yelled. He pointed an accusatory finger at the Thief King, but he kept his distance. "He asked _you_ for permission about Atem."

"Yes, because he tries to be respectful and knows we had bad blood." The Thief King glared at Bakura's finger, and had half a mind to bite at it as a warning.

"Ryou belongs to _me_. The Pharaoh should be using his own vessel, not mine."

The crack that split the air as the Thief King's fist met Bakura's jaw had more of an impact than the punch itself.

"You know damn well why you don't get to possess Ryou anymore, and that possessiveness only validates his concerns further," the Thief King said as Bakura hissed from the pain radiating from his broken jaw hinge. "You've hardly changed at all, and we both know you'd kill to be alive again."

"Don't say that as if you wouldn't too," Bakura sneered. He spat blood into the floor and straightened up, his jaw mending itself already.

"As much as I love the feeling of being alive, my family is here," the Thief King said. His expression conveyed far more vulnerability than he usually did, even when talking with Ryou. Home was something only the other half of his split soul would fully understand. The expression only held for a moment before he glared again and added, "and even if I wanted to live again, I wouldn't steal Ryou's life again. He's been through enough because of us."

Bakura stood there, shocked, hardly noticing that the pain in his jaw had faded to a mere memory. He was frozen by the Thief King taking mutual blame for the things he did in the Ring. They had discussed it before, after they first encountered each other at their weighings. They always disagreed, and the time spent under trauma and darkness made it hard to stitch together their shared pasts. Neither knew when their soul split in two, so neither knew which actions within the Ring were whose. The topic of Ryou was regularly avoided, except when speaking of Ryou in exclusively a positive light, for that reason.

"I do regret it," Bakura finally said. He took a deep breath, despite the heavy perfumes still in the air threatening to choke him. He looked up when he felt a hand on his shoulder.

"Let's go to the village square," the Thief King said. He knew that a heavy conversation approached and actively chose to avoid it. "The Pharaoh won't be back until past sunset, knowing Ryou's friends."

"You just want to see me get another sun brand," Bakura scoffed, but he did like the idea of shopping in the village market.

"I wouldn't let you wear my robes if I did," the Thief King said. "But I'm wearing that black coat of yours."

"You are not wearing my trench coat!" Bakura said as the Thief King walked towards his room. "Hey! Hey, you hear me? Keep your thieving paws off my coat!"

"Me? The King of Thieves? My thieving paws? On your coat?" The Thief King accentuated each statement with dramatic steps, until he crossed through the doorway to Bakura's bedroom. "What a silly thing to suggest!" He disappeared behind the corner and Bakura ran after him.

"I'm serious, you bastard, don't touch my coat!"

\---

His chest burned, crying out for air. He sat up with a gasp, his eyes snapping open only to be assaulted by bright candlelight. Above him was the ceiling of Ryou's apartment. Splayed out around him was long, white hair. He sat up only to meet the face of Yugi, his partner and closest friend.

"Aibou," he whispered, still amazed every time he got to see Yugi again. His heart swelled when Yugi smiled at him.

Yugi helped Atem up off the floor, and Atem took the opportunity to greet Kaiba with a kiss to his forehead. He did it just to see the blush that would always erupt across the man's face, and just like always Kaiba did not disappoint as a bright blush bloomed across his cheeks.

"We missed you," Yugi said as he hugged Atem close. Kaiba nodded his agreement and stood.

"Since you're here during the day this time, I thought we could go somewhere besides Ryou's apartment," Kaiba said. He clearly already had a plan for the day in mind, Atem could at least tell that much.

"I'll follow your lead," Atem said, wearing Ryou's sweet smile. Yugi clung to his arm and he found he rather liked it, even if it was a step up from the regular level of tactile Yugi tended to be. He leaned against Yugi just to feel Yugi squeeze his arm a little tighter. Every point of contact, from the slightly scratchy material of Ryou's sweater to Ryou's hair against his neck to Yugi wrapped around his arm, made him feel alive in a way only experiencing the world filtered through skin could.

Yugi lead Atem out while Kaiba blew out the candles and cleaned up the board. The keys to the apartment were grabbed on the way out, the door was shut and locked, and the three were off. The midday sun felt nice on his face, not warming him as much as Ra in the sky of Aaru, but gentle through the buffer Ryou's skin provided. He rolled up the sleeves of Ryou's sweater just to feel the sun on more of his skin.

Atem was led across the city, pulled through the midday crowd and around street corners down to the waterfront of Domino Pier by his two companions. Despite the nice weather, the Pier was not nearly as crowded as either man had anticipated. A few groups of friends chattered away near the water, a few pairs walked beside each other, but there was plenty of room to see the boardwalk and the shipyard.

"So, what's new since my last visit?" Atem asked, his hand in Yugi's as Kaiba walked a little ahead of them.

"Yugi, would you like to tell him?" Kaiba asked over his shoulder with the faintest hint of a smile.

"Remember Spherium?" Yugi asked as he grabbed Atem's free hand. He wore the same expression a child wore at their birthday party, in awe of the cake and presents and games and decorations. Yugi was visibly vibrating from restraining himself from ruining the suspense Kaiba tried to build with his question deflection.

"Yes," Atem said with a thoughtful nod. "Is it doing well?"

"I was given the green-light for a commercial version of its sequel!" Yugi declared with pride.

Atem could feel his heart swell with pride himself. He knew how much Yugi loved game design, and especially so when it came to Spherium. That game was his first success, as Atem learned many months ago, and thus his pride and joy as a designer. Though they shared a body no longer, Atem couldn't help but feel Yugi's joy and pride and success as if it were his own.

"That's wonderful, aibou," he said with a wide smile. "Are you developing it under KaibaCorp?"

"No," Yugi said with a shake of his head.

"Considering our growing relationship, it made more sense for Yugi to run development through an independent company," Kaiba added before Atem could ask.

" _And_ I wanted the success of the series to help a smaller company get off the ground," Yugi added on top of Kaiba's interjection.

"Because _someone_ thinks my company shouldn't have the market power it does," Kaiba said almost as soon as Yugi's words paused. It was their own form of one-upmanship and Atem wondered if every close relationship Kaiba had was destined to be rivalrous in some way or another. More and more, the possibility appeared stronger.

"Because it _shouldn't_ ," Yugi said, almost for the sake of having the last word, further confirming Atem's theory. He returned his attention to Atem to bring the conversation back where he wanted it. "But Atem, I'm making a sequel! I'm a real designer now!"

"You have been a real game designer for years now," Atem said with fondness as he brushed a section of Yugi's blonde bangs behind his ear. His heart grew warm as a blush spread across Yugi's cheerful face. Atem couldn't help but think that in that moment there would be nothing he wouldn't give to be able to see Yugi's smile every day.

"I told you so," Kaiba said as he slowed down to bop the tip of Yugi's nose with his finger. Yugi's nose crinkled at the action.

"Yes well, now I'm a real designer outside of my _boyfriend's company_ too," he said. He stuck his tongue out for good measure.

The action made Atem snicker behind a hand raised to hide his grin. He had no doubt that Yugi never needed Kaiba's help to design successful games. He knew Yugi's passion for gaming as he knew his own, and would bet a penalty game that one look at anything Yugi designed would make his partner an asset companies would war over to get on their development teams. On top of that, he knew Kaiba wouldn't put money into bad investments, even to boost his partner's ego. Yugi was a brilliant designer all on his own.

"Is anything else new?" Atem asked as they reached the part of the pier that led down to a small, sandy beach. He remembered Yugi telling him during their first summer together that the little beach was always crowded during the summer, but tourists and locals alike tended to forget it existed once the fall hit. The water was too cold for swimming or wading.

"I bought a new house," Kaiba said in the same tone one spoke of the weather with.

" _Another_ house," Yugi corrected, which earned him a very sharp eye-roll.

"I bought _another_ house," Kaiba ceded. "In the mountains of Switzerland. I thought the four of us could go on vacation together this summer, but seeing as I'm being _attacked_ for being _thoughtful_ -"

"You already had five _other_ houses we could have stayed at!" Yugi insisted. Atem had a feeling this topic occurred in conversation many times before. The way Yugi and Kaiba had gone from hesitant, almost distant, partners to resembling an elderly married couple in only seven months since the first time Ryou granted him use of his body as a vessel was a marvel to behold for Atem.

"I know Ryou went with us to Egypt, but that was many years ago. Does he still have a valid passport?" Atem asked. The look on Kaiba's face suggested he hadn't actually thought of that, but Atem could see the gears turning inside Kaiba's head.

"Private jet," Kaiba said after the long moment of silence. Yugi headed down the wooden steps onto the beach's soft sand as Kaiba added, "and if passports are an issue, I'll buy the airport."

"I think you'd have to buy the country's government," Atem said only to receive a smack to his arm from Yugi.

"Don't give him ideas!" Yugi said before he gave Kaiba a pointed glare. "Do not buy Switzerland."

"I would never," Kaiba scoffed as if he hadn't been considering it the moment Atem reminded him entering a country involved more than just stepping off a plane.

Atem looked out at the ocean as the breeze picked up. He never liked the cold very much, especially not when the sun was out and warming everywhere else, but Ryou seemed to be different. The temperature drop of the seaside felt just as nice on Atem's borrowed skin as the sun had. The water looked so inviting and it made him wonder if Ryou was the type to swim in colder waters. He figured dipping his feet couldn't hurt anything.

He unlaced Ryou's sneakers and slipped them off, removing his socks as well so he stood barefoot in the sand. It was course beneath his feet and he curled his toes just to feel how it felt to grip the sand in the same way he could with his hand. He squished the sand just to feel it. The sand felt different than the sands of Aaru. It was colder, courser, and far more colorful. He rolled up his pants to his knees and stepped out to where the waves stretched to kiss the shore.

"Atem, it's cold!" Yugi called to him, but when the water hit, the shock of frigid water felt pleasant. It numbed his feet and awakened every nerve in his body. He felt alive. Was Ryou more fond of the cold? Was this the preference of Ryou's body, or his soul? It had to be Ryou's body. Atem always hated being too cold.

"It feels nice," Atem called back as he walked across the damp sand, a shiver running up his spine each time the chilled waves spread up to cover his feet.

Yugi just shook his head. He wondered what it was like to possess another person. Would Atem and Ryou gravitate towards each other the same as he did with Atem? He supposed he could just ask, but it seemed too private. Too much like asking someone on the schoolyard who they fancied. Too childish to worry about and far too invasive to waste their limited time on.

He looked over to Kaiba only to find the man sitting in the sand, watching Atem tromp around in the waves. He couldn't imagine how it felt for Atem. He hated the cold and he assumed Atem would too, but it would seem Atem liked many different things, at least while Ryou was his vessel instead. A rush of longing flooded Yugi, causing his head to spin and his heart to ache. He missed this. He missed being Atem's.

Kaiba could see Yugi's shift in mood like reading a children's book. He tugged on Yugi's arm and wrapped an arm around his shoulder when the man sat down beside him.

"You don't have to tell me what's wrong," he told him, "but I can see something eating you and I'll listen if you want to."

Yugi was quiet, resting his head on Kaiba's shoulder, for long enough that Kaiba assumed Yugi didn't want to talk. He kept his arm around Yugi's shoulder as he watched Atem get into a small disagreement with a beach crab. Conversation was not something he enjoyed. He excelled at it when it was a necessary evil, but he far preferred the comfortable silence of a shared space. Yugi brought him that silence. In the beginning it was unexpected. He always characterized Yugi as a chipper person - and he was - but Yugi surprised him in bringing a comfortable quiet, free of expectations or obligations, into his life.

No, not free of expectations. There was one expectation Yugi held. To care about him, in whatever way that meant for Kaiba. Kaiba liked to think he had yet to disappoint Yugi. Yugi gave him so much space to be as cold or warm as he was, with as much time apart or together as he needed. It would have been a miracle if he hadn't fallen for Yugi. It frightened him sometimes, how Yugi and Atem both pushed him into feeling more than he ever permitted himself before meeting either of them, and how they both pushed him in such different ways. Years ago he would have called it a weakness. Now, he's certain that, just like Mokuba always did, they gave him strength.

"I think I'm jealous of Ryou," Yugi said, pulling Kaiba from his thoughts.

"You'll have to elaborate."

Yugi buried him face further into Kaiba's shoulder, his words pouring out like a broken faucet. "I miss being Atem's host. I miss him always being there, hearing his thoughts and emotions and knowing him the same as I know myself."

Kaiba felt his heart drop at the dampness on Yugi's cheek. He rubbed circles into Yugi's back, trying to soothe the man when he had no words to give. How does one comfort someone over something like this? There was no book or online guide on how to emotionally support the ex-host of a 3000 year old Pharaoh.

"Aibou, what's wrong?"

Kaiba looked up to see Atem walking over. Yugi noticed as well, as the moment Atem was near enough, he launched himself from Kaiba's arm into Atem, crashing into him.

"Aibou?" Atem squeaked as the force of Yugi's hug knocked them both onto the sand.

Brown eyes filled with care and concern met Yugi's and Yugi lost it. New tears welled in his eyes as he buried his face in Atem's shoulder, clinging to him as sobs wracked his body.

Atem wrapped his arms around Yugi without second thought. He laid there and held Yugi as his heart broke over whatever unknown reason caused Yugi to grow upset. He didn't know the reason and he didn't need to. Yugi was upset and that was all Atem needed to know.

He kissed the top of Yugi's head, carded his fingers through Yugi's spiked hair, comforting him the same way he would when they shared a body. The same way Yugi would comfort him when the weight of his unknown past was too much for his thin shoulders to bear alone. They supported each other, that's what they did and that's what Atem intended to continue doing.

He met Yugi's eyes the moment he felt Yugi lift his head. Yugi's eyes were red from tears, his face blotched with red and glistening. Atem wiped the tears from Yugi's cheeks automatically.

"You're my whole world, Atem," Yugi said as he sniffled. "You'll always be my Other Self, right? No matter whose face you wear, you'll always be mine?"

"Always," Atem promised. "Nothing could ever change our bond, Yugi. Are you alright?"

"I am now," he said with a smile, tears still wetting his eyes but refusing to fall. "I was afraid that you didn't see me like that anymore."

"Aibou, you are so much more to me than a vessel," Atem said with a serious urgency. "I need you to understand that. What we have, what I feel for you, goes far beyond our roles in a destiny we already fulfilled. I'm grateful for every moment I spend with you, and I'm especially grateful that Ryou has been so giving. Nothing can compare to being able to hug you and feel you hug me back." As if to emphasize his point, Atem squeezed Yugi in the best bearhug he could manage. Yugi huffed a laugh and hugged him back as footsteps crunched the sand.

"It's going to get dark soon," Kaiba said as he approached. "We should head back to Ryou's apartment."

Just as they walked to the beach, Yugi and Atem walked back hand in hand, Kaiba a few steps in front of them. At Atem's insistence, they picked up takeout for Ryou to have in the morning. Despite Ryou's insistence that they all sleep in a bed when they stayed over, Kaiba took the couch when they turned in for the night, as he did every time no matter how much Ryou said he did not mind waking up between him and Yugi.

Kaiba was certain Ryou was ignoring his own comfort for his friends. Yugi teased that Ryou was fond of him. Ryou wouldn't say one way or the other, which served to prove both men's points to themselves. So Kaiba continued to take the couch, only sharing a sleeping space when Yugi and Atem chose to pile onto the couch with him.

That was where he was, reading in the late hours of the night, when Atem walked into the living room, Yugi presumably asleep since he was not by Atem's side.

"Hey," Atem said, keeping his voice low despite Kaiba clearly not being asleep.

"Hey yourself," Kaiba said as he bookmarked his page and set his book down on the coffee table. He wrapped his arms around Atem's waist as the man sat in his lap. They were nearly identical heights like that and it always was a little jarring not to need to crane his neck down to rest his chin on Atem's shoulder. It was still a habit despite how routine Atem possessing Ryou became. Sometimes Kaiba would kiss between Atem's borrowed shoulder blades just to save face when he didn't catch himself in time, though he suspected Atem knew what he was doing. Atem never said anything though, so he never bothered to try and correct the habit. Especially not when he still had so much height on Yugi.

"I'm worried about aibou." Atem fiddled with the hem of the sweater he wore, picking at a loose thread at a seam. He looked towards the hallway that led to Ryou's guestroom as his hand stilled. "I'm not sure if I should keep doing this," he admitted as he tightened his grip on the knitted fabric.

"Has he talked to you?"

"A little, at the beach."

"Then you would know more distance isn't going to help."

Atem sighed because he knew Kaiba was right, but he still couldn't shake the feeling returning from the dead every few weeks was taking a toll on Yugi. He feared these meetings were preventing Yugi from living his life.

"Atem," Kaiba said, catching his attention. He turned to meet Kaiba's eyes, and only then did Kaiba continue. "If you do not wish to continue this arrangement or if it is too tiring to break the veil so often, he'll understand. But be honest about it. Even I can see that his heart beats stronger after getting to see you."

"I just don't know what I should do," Atem muttered. He looked away, this time looking at the closed and locked front door. "What about you though?"

"What about me?"

"How would you feel?" Atem turned to meet Kaiba's eyes once more. "If I stopped breaking the veil?"

"I would just have to live with it, wouldn't I." He was deflecting and he knew he was, but how could he in good conscious tell him that were Atem to remain in Aaru and cease the visits, he would feel as if Atem took the last bit of his heart there with him? He could hardly admit it to himself. He couldn't possibly say it out loud.

Instead, he stood and lifted Atem with him. "We should sleep," he said as he carried Atem to Ryou's guest bedroom, where Yugi slept unaware of the living room discussion.

Atem could tell when a conversation with Kaiba was over, but despite the full day, he felt far more energized than he ever did before. He wanted to keep talking. He wanted to figure out what to do.

"Seto," he said, putting a hand on the wall so Kaiba had to stop walking. Their eyes met and despite the dark of the hallway, Atem could see the way Kaiba's eyes pleaded with him. It felt like his heart caught itself in his throat. "Let's go to the arcade next time Ryou is free for this."

"You won't beat my high scores, if that's your goal," Kaiba replied, a weight visibly lifted from his shoulders.

"We'll just have to wait and see."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> c o m m u n i c a t i o n  
> i s  
> k e y  
> t o  
> p o l y a m o u r y
> 
> thank you Kevlar01 for betaing, and thank YOU for reading <3


	6. Chapter 6

Ryou awoke late in the afternoon with the worst headache of his life. It felt as if his skull was trying to split itself open from the inside. It would have been at least a little manageable if he had woken up curled in Yugi's arms like he usually did when he channeled Atem, or in both Yugi and Kaiba's arms by some miracle, but it was far too late in the day for any such chance of luck there.

The cozy weight of the guest bed duvet begged him to stay in bed just a little longer. The growl of his stomach argued against that idea. He didn't really want to get up, but he did anyway to avoid the pains of skipping both breakfast and lunch.

Stumbling into the kitchen like a groggy blanket monster, Ryou fumbled his way to the refrigerator. He threw open the door and leaned against it as he looked for something edible to shut his stomach up. A box of takeout with a note taped to it sat at the front of the fridge. He grabbed it, though he didn't remember buying it, and read the note taped to the container.

_Per Atem's insistence, inside is kitsune udon from the shop by the pier. Yugi insists I thank you for today, so, thanks._

_Seto Kaiba_

Ryou smiled as he set the note down and put the udon in a microwaveable bowl.

"That was nice of Atem," he said to himself as the udon reheated in the microwave. He appreciated little things like waking up to water and food after regaining consciousness. He rather awaken in another man's arms, but sometimes he slept late, and Yugi had to work, and the Thief King had to cross over, and Kaiba wasn't one for touch. He pulled the bowl from the microwave and the heat of the soup warmed him to his core. Maybe waking up alone wasn't so bad when he still had friends that cared about him either way.

Ryou shuffled his way to the bathroom, leaving his noodles in the kitchen. He couldn't ignore how awful he felt. He took a tablet for the headache and hoped it helped ease the pressured tension, but he had a feeling it was just from channeling. Should that be the case, he'd just have to sleep it off. He'd worry if the ill feeling didn't clear by the following evening.

Returning to the kitchen was just as much of a chore. Ryou set the kettle on the stove and slurped his noodles. He tore off chunks of fried tofu with his chopsticks, eating slowly as he waited for the kettle to reach a boil. Food, tea, and then back to bed. Maybe he would play on his phone for a while, reply to messages or something of the sort, doing nothing that required him to move very much.

The bowl of udon was half empty, most of the tofu and vegetables eaten and only the noodles remaining, when the kettle whistled from the stove. Ryou fixed himself a cup of herbal tea and finished what he could of his noodles. He wasn't usually one to eat much soon after waking, but he nearly emptied the bowl. Perhaps Ryou was more hungry than he thought.

He carried his mug of tea with him to his bedroom, leaving the guest bed unmade and unoccupied. It could be dealt with later. He settled into bed propped up on his pillows, taking sips from his mug as he played a game on his phone.

He woke up with a start, gripping the kitchen counter as he felt as if he were plummeting through nothing but darkness. His breathing was heavy, mind a swimming haze from the panic of the falling dream. Ryou looked around at his surroundings and a rush of fear washed over him. He knew for a fact he went to bed in his own bed.

"Shit," Ryou swore under his breath. He knew this feeling and yet could not place exactly where he knew it from, like a redaction or a blurred out face. He noticed paper on the floor and brought it up to read it.

_Ryou something went wro-_

"Shit!" Ryou swore again as he read the unfinished note. A pen was on the other side of the kitchen, on the floor. He recognized the handwriting from previous materialized post-channeling takeout boxes. He remembered where he felt this phenomenon before.

Ryou scrambled back to his bedroom to find his phone. He unlocked it to type a message to Yugi, but hesitated on sending it. Yugi would still be at work, as would Kaiba. While Yugi knew a bit of the magicks he practiced, he doubted Yugi would be much help with this, considering even he wasn't entirely sure what to do. The one time the Thief King was almost stuck within him, returning to sleep was enough for the Thief King to cross back over. Clearly this wasn't going to be the case, since he blacked out once already. There still was no sense in telling Yugi until he knew Atem was here for a while.

Ryou erased what he was going to send, relocked his phone, and grabbed his Ouija board. He knew of someone who may be of help.

\---

The planchette did not move the first three times Ryou called out. He bit his lip. It was unwise to try any further, as the direct line he and the Thief King built would loosen the more he asked the board to seek a connection, but Ryou was rather nervous and needed advice that very moment. He called out again after a moment of pause. There was still no movement on the board. Perhaps the Thief King was not home? The entire house must be empty in that case, if even Bakura was not jumping at the opportunity to antagonize him.

One more try and then for his own safety he would close the line and try again later.

"Is anyone there? Hello?" Ryou called out a bit more urgently than he wanted to sound. His heart rate spiked as the planchette moved.

R-Y-O-U W-H-A-T I-S W-R-O-N-G. A pause. I J-U-S-T G-O-T H-O-M-E T-O F-E-E-L Y-O-U-R C-A-L-L

"I'm so glad you did," Ryou said with a sigh of relief at the planchette's sharp, quick movements. The Thief King's signature. His spirit accent, he had called it once. "It's Atem. He hasn't crossed back over."

H-E S-T-I-L-L P-O-S-S-E-S-S-E-S Y-O-U

"It would appear so," Ryou said. "I woke up feeling awful and I've already blacked out once, just like before."

Y-O-U A-R-E C-E-R-T-A-I-N H-E I-S S-T-I-L-L T-H-E-R-E

"I have no reason to believe he has made it back to your side, but I haven't lost time in about an hour."

I W-I-L-L G-O T-O T-H-E P-A-L-A-C-E T-O M-A-K-E S-U-R-E. A pause. I C-A-N-N-O-T C-R-O-S-S T-H-E V-E-I-L T-O R-E-T-R-I-E-V-E H-I-M W-I-T-H-O-U-T A H-O-S-T. Another pause, longer this time. I H-O-P-E H-E W-I-L-L B-E T-H-E-R-E.

"If he isn't there, perhaps the palace archives will have something useful for either of us to use," Ryou suggested.

I W-I-L-L L-O-O-K. There was a pause, and then the planchette moved again. G-R-A-B A P-E-N I K-N-O-W A F-E-W O-L-D S-C-R-O-L-L-S O-N Y-O-U-R S-I-D-E T-H-A-T M-A-Y B-E U-S-E-F-U-L.

Ryou scribbled down the names and general contents of the scrolls as the Thief King gave them to him. He would have to fish the business card of Isis Ishtar out from his desk, but some digging, an email, and possibly a video call would yield beneficial results. He hadn't called Isis in years, her work keeping her busy and his meddlings in the occult sphere becoming more successful on his own, so it would be good to hear from her again. He wished it could be in better circumstances.

"I'll get on these as soon as possible," Ryou said as he wrote down the final spell. Nothing sounded too complicated by name or description, but Ryou knew better than to underestimate the complexity of ancient Egyptian magicks. Sometimes he felt as though the priests knew someone would later uncover their secrets and aimed to spite the future spellcaster with as much horrendously complicated and specific spell rituals possible. He wouldn't actually put that past any of them, considering Kaiba's past life was among their crowd. That was the exact degree of petty Ryou would expect from Kaiba anyways.

H-A-V-E Y-O-U T-O-L-D Y-U-G-I A-N-D K-A-I-B-A.

Ryou didn't answer right away. He bit his lip and something made him want to tell the Thief King 'Yes, of course'. Something made him want to pretend like he finally was in the habit of keeping his friends in the loop.

"Not yet," Ryou eventually said. "It seemed cruel to tell them so soon, in case Atem crosses over right after."

Y-O-U S-H-O-U-L-D T-E-L-L T-H-E-M I-F H-E D-O-E-S N-O-T C-R-O-S-S O-V-E-R A-F-T-E-R T-O-N-I-G-H-T.

"Yeah, I know. I just, I don't know. It's nice being wanted, you know? And I'd hate to see them so sad," Ryou admitted. He looked away from the spirit board, though he was careful to keep a hand on the planchette. It was foolish to hope that the warm looks either man gave were for him. Foolish or not, Ryou wanted those looks to be for him.

"Maybe I just miss you," he muttered with a shake of his head.

R-Y-O-U I M-E-A-N-T I-T W-H-E-N I S-A-I-D Y-O-U S-H-O-U-L-D G-O O-N D-A-T-E-S W-I-T-H L-I-V-I-N-G P-E-O-P-L-E.

"I'd have to keep you a secret," Ryou shook his head. "I don't want to do that. Besides, you know me. I don't love easily. Wake up alone or wake up with someone else, it doesn't matter. Either way I wake up lonely."  _Unless it's with Yugi and Kaiba_ , but Ryou didn't say that part. He tried to admit it before, but the longing grew overwhelming and he couldn't bring himself to say it aloud. He couldn't admit that he looked forward to channeling Atem just because he had a chance to wake up in Yugi's arms. It felt scummy, especially when Yugi's interest was Atem. Especially when Kaiba, who he knew for a fact only had eyes for two men and a dragon, was there as well.

J-U-S-T R-E-M-I-N-D-I-N-G Y-O-U I A-M F-I-N-E W-I-T-H I-T I-N C-A-S-E S-O-M-E-O-N-E Y-O-U L-I-K-E S-H-O-W-S U-P.

"Thanks," Ryou said with a soft smile. He kissed his palm and held it out to the other side of the board, trusting that the Thief King could see him to return the gesture. "I appreciate how much you want me to feel loved."

N-O T-H-A-T M-A-K-E-S M-E S-O-U-N-D L-I-K-E A S-E-L-F-L-E-S-S S-A-P. A pause. M-A-Y-B-E I J-U-S-T W-A-N-T A B-I-G F-A-M-I-L-Y I-N E-I-G-H-T-Y Y-E-A-R-S O-R S-O A-N-D A-M U-S-I-N-G Y-O-U-R L-O-V-E-L-I-F-E T-O G-E-T I-T.

"I'll believe the big family part, but the rest sounds awfully fake," Ryou said with a laugh. "And stop saying so much! I had to grab a pen to keep track of all that."

S-O-R-R-Y N-O-T S-O-R-R-Y.

"I cannot believe Bakura taught you that."

H-E-Y W-E G-E-T A-L-O-N-G S-O-M-E-T-I-M-E-S.

"Good, I'm glad," Ryou said, and he meant it. He was worried when he first found out the soul that made up both the Thief King and the Spirit of the Ring split upon entering the weighing. He feared the Spirit of the Ring would be all bad and the King of Thieves would be however he was before he died. Instead, they were a Jekyll and Hyde situation as far as Ryou could tell, and even with fuzzy memories in places, both the Thief King and the Ring Spirit made up the spirit Ryou knew. Though they were arguably more agreeable company than when they were one and inside the Millennium Ring.

H-E W-I-L-L B-E H-O-M-E F-R-O-M T-H-E V-I-L-L-A-G-E S-O-O-N I-F Y-O-U W-A-N-T T-O T-A-L-K T-O H-I-M.

"Another time. I had better get to work on these spells," Ryou said. He meant it, too. He didn't know what his thoughts on Bakura were, but they hadn't had a hostile conversation in over two years, so that had to count for something even if Ryou hardly called the Thief King's spirit board looking for Bakura. He couldn't be too upset with the undesired recipient though. Bakura always was the type to answer a phone whether or not it was his.

R-E-G-A-R-D-L-E-S-S O-F C-I-R-C-U-M-S-T-A-N-C-E-S I-T W-A-S N-I-C-E T-O H-E-A-R F-R-O-M Y-O-U.

"Likewise, and tell Bakura I'll call him after this is all resolved."

I W-I-L-L L-E-T I-T B-E A S-U-R-P-R-I-S-E. A pause. I D-O N-O-T W-A-N-T T-O L-I-S-T-E-N T-O H-I-M F-A-W-N F-O-R A W-E-E-K.

Ryou laughed so hard his shoulders shook. He couldn't imagine Bakura fawning over anyone or anything, and yet he knew because the Thief King had complained about it before, that Bakura would eagerly await his calls hours upon hours before he said he would call. It made him wonder if the Thief King did the same thing, or if that was a trait exclusive to Bakura.

"That is probably for the best," Ryou said with a nod. "I will call back in one week. Hopefully one of these spells work."

I W-I-L-L L-O-O-K F-O-R-W-A-R-D T-O Y-O-U-R C-A-L-L. A pause. GOODBYE.

"Goodbye," Ryou said. He took a deep breath and packed away his Ouija board.

He rummaged through the bottom drawer of his desk, searching for the little case he kept the business cards he received since high school. Most were of convention-goers, a few were from jobs he didn't pursue, and one very important one had the personal email address of Isis Ishtar for consultations on magicks and in case of emergencies. He considered this a consultation of rather large urgency.

He found the case buried under scrapped Monster World campaign plots. He grabbed the card from the case and booted up his desktop. He frowned at the screen. What would be the best way to start the email? Should he be formal? Apologize for not keeping touch? No, no it was Isis. It would be best to keep the email as concise as possible. Ryou typed quickly and sent the email off. He didn't expect an immediate response, considering the time difference, but his inbox chimed. Isis was just as brief as he was.

_B,_

_Are you free to call?_

_I._

He replied 'yes' and received an incoming video call request almost immediately. He accepted it. The stoic but soft face of Isis appeared on the screen. Wherever she was did not have good lighting for a video call, though Ryou couldn't judge much since he only had his bedroom light on.

"Ryou Bakura, it is good to see you again, though I wish the circumstances could have been better."

"The Thief King said the same thing," Ryou said with a sheepish smile. "I just got off the, erm, phone, with him. He gave me spells but, I have a feeling I'll need your help to read them."

"Let's get down to business," Isis said with a knowing nod. "We can catch up afterwards. I already cleared my morning and afternoon."

\---

The palace walls didn't hold the same challenge that they once did. It was a bit disappointing really. The Thief King almost wanted to stir up trouble just so the guards would step up their game, but he knew now wasn't the time. He could start a proper game of cat and mouse with the Pharaoh's guards when Atem was back on that stupid throne instead of chilling in the flesh of his lover.

The Thief King frowned. It was a strange new feeling to both not terribly mind it and be jealous in the same vein. He wondered how much was Bakura, how much was himself, and how much was the easy-going detachment he felt seeping into his soul from the moment he entered Aaru and the reality of being properly eternally dead sank in. It didn't matter at that very moment, but he made a mental note to do a little more reflecting when everything was right in his world once more.

His shoes gripped stone well enough as he scaled the defensive wall and then the palace outer wall on the same side Atem's sleeping chambers sat. He climbed in through the window, just as he would when giving Atem the next time and sometimes to take a thing or two from his bedroom simply to show that he still could. He usually gave them back eventually, though Atem either didn't ever notice or didn't care, considering the Pharaoh never asked for the cups, jewellery, or robes back himself.

The bedroom of the Pharaoh was empty, untouched since he left the palace the day before. In vain, the Thief King considered that Atem could be in a meeting, or at the stables, or causing trouble with the magician's apprentice, but he knew better. If Ryou suspected Atem had not crossed back through the veil, then it was likely Atem had not. Ryou had been a medium for some time now and knew what it felt like to be possessed or otherwise haunted better than anyone else the Thief King knew. He wished Ryou was wrong, but he knew better, and moreover knew that he had a long road of scouring old texts, scrolls, and tomes ahead of him.

Sneaking through the halls on silent feet, the Thief King made his way down to the record chambers where everything from the dynasty's history to the scrolls of great magicians were stored for eternity. Shelves carved into stone lined the walls beyond what he could see. The Thief King sighed and got to work, pulling scrolls down and scanning them for anything that looked useful.

He really had his work cut out for him this time. The scrolls he found at first contained various descriptions on fertility rituals and ceremonies, including the significance of each item and action each ritual and ceremony required. As interesting as some of the more complex rituals were, he didn't have time to waste looking through anything that didn't pertain to crossing the river from death to life or how to get back to death without the obvious death of the taken host.

Death of the taken host was without a doubt out of the question.

Section after section, the Thief King flipped through the shelf contents, reading what he could but taking in none of the information. He returned another set of texts to its dusty place on the shelf before him. Rinse and repeat.

Four hours into his search, footsteps down the hall warned him of someone approaching. The Thief King dove behind a row of tomes and pulled his red cloak close to him so the sweeping tail wouldn't give him away. Diabound stirred at the edge of his form, ready to appear if he needed to escape. The footsteps came closer and the Thief King moved away, inching his way toward the door as whoever dared interrupt his search headed further into the crowded rows of sacred knowledge. He dared a glance through the spaces between the tomes and met cold, blue eyes.

"You!" the priest hissed from the other side of the shelving structure.

"Me!" the Thief King couldn't help but cackle out with a sick sense of glee. It was just his luck to get to annoy the Pharaoh's most beloved High Priest as he made his escape, even if he made his escape empty-handed.

"What have you done with the Pharaoh?" Set demanded as he tracked the Thief King through the shelves. Every step towards the door the Thief King took, he matched, and likewise when the Thief King moved back deeper into the rows of texts.

"Believe it or not, I'm trying to get him back," the Thief King said, frowning as Set continued to match his steps every time.

"I'll believe it when I see it," the priest sneered.

"You're seeing it!" the Thief King clapped back. He grit his teeth. He'd have to tell Set what was going on to get him to trust him and he knew it. He wanted to keep Set in the dark just to bug the know-it-all. He couldn't deny that Set's help would speed the whole process up much faster though.

The Thief King walked down the row and at the end of it stood face to face with the High Priest. He resisted the urge to size the man up.

"How much do you know of what Atem does when he visits me?" he asked. He suppressed a grin when Set frowned.

"He hides no secrets from me, thief," the priest said.

"Then you know he crosses the veil."

"Despite my disapproval, yes."

"He's stuck within the body of-" the Thief King hesitated. What was Ryou to him? Far more than an old vessel. He had fought many arguments with Bakura over that. Ryou was closer to him than just a future life or reincarnation, too. In his heart he held Ryou like a lover, but that seemed far more intimate knowledge than what he wanted Set to know. "He is trapped possessing Ryou," the Thief King decided on.

"Your old host?"

"A close friend," the Thief King growled out as a warning for Set to watch his tongue.

"Let's get to work," Set said. He turned and walked down the dusty rows of sacred knowledge before the Thief King could say another word, leaving the thief stunned where he stood.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took so long to get out. I got a little distracted working on smaller fics and honestly? Motivation has been wonky lately. Hopefully the story stays interesting?
> 
> Thank you Jay for betaing this, and thank YOU for reading <3


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